Walking from B lot to office everyday post-L2IC huge inconvenience; concessions needed for L2IC kids

by Delaina H.

Logically, facing a consequence for an action out of one’s own control is infuriating and unfair. Applying this to education, students shouldn't have to face consequences at school when the school is causing the problem. One example of this is a recent change in where students park versus where they are allowed to enter the building. Many students are constantly late to school for many reasons which could be fixed if there was only a few extra minutes to get to the office and class and even if they had a few more entrances to get into the building that students were allowed to use. Students who park in B lot should have at least five extra minutes to get into the school.

The primary reason students who park in B lot, especially when returning from morning CATE classes, has to do with the unfair academic consequences they inadvertently incur. Consequences of this situation can lead to missing important parts of class. If your teacher hands out work at the beginning of that class you won't get it or you'll get it late. Not doing this late work can lead to you doing it for homework and students are most likely to not do it at home and have a bad grade for that assignment, or if there was an important change in schedule or announcement, you would miss that work due to your lateness. UOpeople.edu gives perfect examples of what students could miss such as tests, exams, fun days, or maybe even free time before we start a lesson would all be missed and unfair because it's not your fault that you missed that class due to where you parked. Missing class in general is a big problem for students who want to keep up with their class, and being relegated to B lot leads to said problems.

Attendance is another major consequence from parking in B lot. EGCSD.org says students who attend their classes are more likely to succeed academically. If we are tardy then we are less likely to actually understand and succeed in the assignments that are given. Being tardy for so many days can also lead to summer school and no one wants to give up their summer to still be in school. Attendance can not only affect the student but can also affect the school and partners in a way. If CATE center students were allowed to park closer to school or if more time were allotted before third block began, this issue could be avoided.

Thirdly, accruing tardiness due to the superfluous walking CATE Center students who drive are forced to do when they arrive back on campus is resulting in students getting in trouble with their parents. Getting in trouble with your parents over something that really isn't in your control is the worst ever. I know parents are very strict on their child's attendance. When parents see you have been tardy they question what you were doing to get that tardy and why you have it. Parents could assume that you were skipping class and then the child could get yelled at or questioned for not being in class and it is just a misunderstanding. Explaining why you were late to your parents could also be difficult because some parents might not believe what you say so it's good to have proof or explain in detail so they can get an understanding. For example when I get a tardy and my mother receives a call from the school that I wasn't in class. She sends a text asking why I wasn't in class or thinks I was skipping so then I have to explain why I was late. I feel like I'm getting punished twice for something that is not my fault to begin with.

Although I have now stated my claim, it is important to acknowledge that people might disagree with the idea of grace for students driving back from CATE. They might say, “Well, if students are going somewhere before coming straight to school, such as going for food, snacks, gas or home because you forgot something, then you're making yourself late and deserve the consequences.” Or they might think that students need to walk faster to and from their cars so they can be on time. In response to these naysayers, first the school doesn't really serve appetizing foods, as confirmed in The New York Times Times article on “Why Students Hate School Lunches” has proven, so it's understandable why people might grab food or a snack or even gas before coming to school. They should be given this privilege, not punished for it. In response to the bit about walking faster, students can't just walk faster, especially if they need to be held back because their teacher at CATE needs to talk to them after class. In that case, they can't just leave because then they would get written up or in trouble or miss out on something the teacher needs to tell them. Giving kids who drive from CATE a little bit of extra time to talk to their teachers before rushing back to AHS or to get something better-tasting for lunch than what the school has to offer is a reasonable solution.

Most students agree with me on this issue. Chyna, a senior who parks in B lot says “They should at least open the arena doors or have someone there to open the door so they know it's not an intruder or something so that we are not late.” Kendrell A, a student who rides the bus says “ If I had to walk from B lot to the office I would be upset because that's a long walk.”

This opinion article has now shown why parking in B lot can lead to students having many misunderstandings with school and their parents. Now that you know more about this occurring problem, if you want to make a difference in this situation you can write a letter to the school board and/or address this problem to the principal.