North Star News

Issue date: 1/12/10 Section: News

Parking has proven to be a problem at the beginning of recent semesters.

Everyone remembers what it was like the first week of school. Driving around from lot-to-lot for what seemed to be an eternity until finally, a spot opens up two rows over, but then a Scion comes out of nowhere and swoops in like winged creature subduing its grounded prey.

At the beginning of each semester, unless students plan on getting to school around 7 a.m., their car will not be anywhere close to where their classes are.

"I use to have class around 10:30 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, but the parking lot was too crazy," said Delia Valdez, 21, accounting major. "I have even been cussed out [for taking someone's spot]. Now I take classes early in the morning to avoid the vicious people."

Valdez' experience was truly unfortunate. She may have the right idea though. Before students topple the walls of the administration building and demand that teachers give up their parking spots until something is done, students should ponder what they can do for themselves.

Here are a few tips to help steer your mind in the right direction; get to campus at least 30 minutes before your class, carpool if you have the option and if you are going to be on campus all day, then park farther away.

According to officials, the overwhelming need for parking only lasted through the first week of school.

Seeing that the parking situation posed an immediate problem the administrators took swift action by roping off various vacant areas around campus creating 400-500 additional parking spots within days. They also positioned an officer near the stop sign in front of the teachers' parking lot to efficiently finesse the flow of traffic from W.W. Thorne.

None of these problems could have been anticipated or avoided, officials said. This year, Lone Star College-North Harris has seen its biggest increase in students. Dr. Bennie Lambert, vice president of Student Development, feels this is a "great problem to have."

"The North Harris campus grew by the biggest percentage of any college in the system," Lambert said.

Between the fall semester of 2008 and the fall semester of 2009, the North Harris student body has increased by roughly 16 percent.

Not all of this increase is attributed to students on campus. North Harris has seen a rise in virtually every type of course offered including distance learning and online courses.

Continued...

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