This article was published in The ‘Burnian in September of 1992 by: The Butler 1st Red Senior
To the administration:
There are many funny things that go on at Blackburn these days, but the biggest joke of them all has to do with the availability and enforcement of student parking. It’s so funny that perhaps our business manager should resign and go on tour as a comedian. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see him on the “MTV Half-Hour Comedy Hour,” or better yet, he can make a special guest appearance in “Wayne’s World 2!”
To begin with, what’s happening with the thousands of dollars raised as part of the 400% increase in the cost of student parking permits? We wish we could tell our fellow students where that money has gone, but that answer eludes us.
In case no one has noticed, there are less parking spots available this year, thanks to an overpaid crew of paint-happy amateurs who were hired by the Business Manager to stripe BU. Besides the fact that the spaces are too wide, too many spaces have been left for faculty/staff parking, and not enough for students. There is a definite problem when a Butler resident has to go all the way to Olin to find a “legal” parking spot.
It is not very often that we disagree with, or are disappointed by, the Administration. Many of us see from a first-hand view how hard-working and dedicated most of them are. They have an exceptional ability to deal with and solve major problems. That’s why it pains us so that they haven’t been able to do anything about the parking problem.
So, we raise some possible solutions. First, how about designated spots for students and students only! This would mean that faculty, staff and campus vehicles would be prohibited from parking in areas reserved specifically for students. After all, we can’t park in their spots — why should they be allowed to park in ours? (And while we are at it, why don’t we charge them to park on campus?)
Second, it seems that many freshmen on campus brought cars. How about a policy dealing with and limiting freshmen car usage, as almost every other college and university in the nation does? Why should we be any different?
Third, reserved a special area for commuters to park — like Olin — instead of jamming them into Butler, Jones and North/Graham lots. Besides, we should get priority to these lots because we live here.
So now that we’ve all heard Bill’s joke, would somebody explain the punchline to us? We don’t get it.