People will often cite the location of French Field as a great amenity to Rocky students. While it is undeniable that having home football games at the school and being able to use the stadium for classes is convenient, there are negatives connected to the benefits.
While Rocky students have long tolerated being designated the “away” team at games taking place on their own campus, the issue of parking has been getting especially bad over the past few years.
Parking lots are incredible places to foster hostility; people parking over the lines, dense traffic, or a lack of space can cause tempers to flare. This is only exacerbated by the unavoidable reality that high school students are still learning to drive and their brains are still developing. The last thing this situation needs is a mass influx of additional vehicles with no guidance.
When the French Field is used to host district track meets and other athletic events during the day, it puts a substantial amount of pressure on our parking lot, often displacing students in order to host parents. This results in bad parking jobs, late students, and a worse experience for everyone involved.
The situation is not explicitly problematic, rather, it is a great combination of factors that make spring track meets so frustrating. The influx of drivers at the end of the year, the focus on open campus, and changing schedules all exacerbate each other to make the situation difficult.
The end of the year is the period of time when Rocky will experience the most drivers in the parking lot. As the year progresses and more people turn 16, pass their driving tests, or obtain a car, we steadily gain drivers. This results in the parking lot filling more regularly and decreases the number of excess parking spots.
This lack of parking spaces begins to feel like a hint of hypocrisy as eighth-grade students are brought into the school and proudly told about our open campus. While celebrating an open campus is wonderful–and freshmen do enjoy it–it feels ridiculous to tout it while students are encouraged to remain on campus so they can retain their parking spot.
It makes it especially difficult for students who must pay to park when they are confined by drivers who can park for free. Here lies the crux of the parking lot frustration: students who are brought into Rocky being told of the wonders of an open campus, who then pay and fill out paperwork to park, are unable to find spaces in a lot that’s beyond packed, and end up late for class.
There is no perfect solution for this problem. French Field is a convenient location, and the events it hosts are impactful and important. Pushing events around could harm the ability of student athletes to participate in events that are close to their hearts and good for them.
If everyone seems to agree that this situation is less than ideal, no one has a perfect solution. The school has begun blocking off parts of the parking lot to reserve room for parents, which only formalizes the lack of spaces and frustrations.
Senior track star Lindsey Kanies suggests that parents could be encouraged to carpool and park on the street. As she explains, “It feels stupid” that parents cause students to be late to class while watching their kids run 30-second races.”
While there is no flawless solution, there are values worth sticking to. Rocky students need reliable parking to make it to class on time, and that academic purpose should be prioritized, especially when students are asked to pay for it.
Parking lots are annoying, and Rocky’s shouldn’t be made worse by unnecessary troubles. French Field is a great addition to our school, but we must ensure it doesn’t damage the education of our students.
