Before April 19th, when SHS began full-capacity in-person school days, students were organized into two cohorts, resulting in only half of the junior class attending school on a given day. After April 19th, however, parking became a bigger concern for the junior class. “Parking after April 19th was really hectic. Every day I would have to park on Hampton or Ogden and walk all the way to the school, and I would be late to class because of it,” said Jamie Worth ’22.

While the two cohorts were divided, cars were already lined up on Brewster Road at full capacity. Then, when everyone started to come in on the same day, cars filled the streets throughout the neighborhood. As lack of spaces once again became a problem, juniors and seniors were getting parking tickets for parking illegally.

The parking problem was resolved when senior classes ended for the year, as juniors are now able to fill the spots that the seniors once occupied in the small parking lot off of Brewster, Brewster Road, and in the parking lot behind the bleachers. With all of these lots open, juniors are no longer waking up extra early to drive to school. “The parking situation has shifted significantly. We now have access to gravel and Harcourt and we still have Brewster so I can wake up later and get to classes on time,” explained Eduardo Dager ’22. Other students agree that although the juniors have a strong relationship with the seniors, the parking situation with both classes present is a huge problem.“Since seniors have left, I have slept a lot more. I miss the seniors, but the beginning of my day has become a lot less stressful,” said Luke Peltz ’22. The importance of the issue was clear since parking dominated most juniors’ conversations from April 19th until May 14th.

Although parking may seem like a minor issue, it has wreaked havoc on many juniors’ daily schedules. Some students would walk into class late due to an issue with parking, while others panicked because they couldn’t find a spot before school and worried about being late to class. Worth, Peltz, and Dager all believe that changes should be made to improve the parking situation for juniors. “The school needs to allow juniors to park on campus because it is not good for juniors to have a competition to get on Brewster. If juniors had a spot on campus it would be a lot easier for everybody,” said Worth. Like Worth, Peltz believes changes should be made. “The teachers are given way too many spots. There are so many spots open in the teachers’ lot and they get some of the gravel spots which is ridiculous,” explained Peltz. 

While parking has temporarily improved for juniors, the same problem will arise for next year’s juniors unless SHS makes changes.