It has been the buzz of class conversation since day one: students believe the afternoon transportation changes are chaotic. From switching bus and car lines to the intense volume of the student parking lot, fear is evident when trying to get to and from school safely.
Assistant principal Chris Sims is the head of the parking lot and has been tweaking procedures each day to find a happy parking medium. Sims comments that the students and faculty have both been phenomenally patient and progress is being made every day.
“Right now I think there are going to be some major adjustments but I am very confident in the faculty and students that we will get the job done. It’s just part of being a senator,” Sims said.
One of the major changes being introduced this year is the new start times for school. Rumors have been circulating that the Madison County Central Office is contemplating returning to the 7:45 a.m. start time, but these are not confirmed. Sims believes that more time needs to pass before any decisions are made.
“I think we need to give it some time; we are making some adjustments so I’m not so quick to say ‘let’s go back,’” Sims said. “I like the new start times very much, but whether its 8:30 or 7:30 our students and faculty and staff has made an incredible adaptation to what is going on around this campus.”
English teacher and parking lot aid Crys Hodgens stands in the lot every afternoon, directing traffic. Through the heat or the rain, she has been known to get everyone out of the lot in 10 minutes flat. That is, until this year.
One of the things Hodgens worries about is the demographical diversity of the parking lot. She knows that for a teenager, the parking lot is “the crème de la crème of their social life,” but Hodgens would rather strive for more efficiency in leaving the parking lot than keeping up the social dynamic.
“[The administration is] asking these kids who park by the football field to come all the way over and leave through Jeff Road, and that is not helping. So if we had Africa turned into the lot for kids who leave through Jeff and North America turned into the lot for kids who turn onto Ford’s Chapel Road, that would solve half the issue,” Hodgens said.
Assigning parking lots for specific exits is an idea that has been tossed around for years. The only issue Hodgens mentions is that the south and west parking lots, respectively labeled “Africa” and “North America,” would lose its tradition and wipe out parking lot cliques completely.
“I hate that that would divide [the lots] up because it’s been that way since I’ve been here. But we have to decide what’s more important: getting you guys out before midnight or keeping your social life,” Hodgens said.
On the student’s side of the argument, junior Emily Frady has a similar opinion. Frady has been awaiting the day where she can drive to school since freshman year. However she has experienced more than one wreck scare in the parking lot, giving her a rude awakening as to how some other student drivers behave.
“It scares me to park in the student parking lot because people walk out in front of my car without warning and I don’t want to hit them. Even when I am walking to my car, I am afraid to get hit by someone who isn’t paying attention,” Frady said.
Sims has been welcoming all suggestions for further action. While working on making the final adjustments in the next few weeks, Sims plans to offer a little lenience when it comes to student driving policies.
“I am offering a grace period for students to drive to and from campus without a decal, however we are strongly encouraging students to buy their decals. This year if they do not have a decal by our deadline then their car will be towed,” Sims said.
The deadline for students to obtain a decal is Aug 15.