Our school has just over 1,900 students. It’s hard enough fitting everyone on campus. Add some drivers to the chaos and the school is even crazier.

I started driving in October. I was so excited when I got my license. My only problem was that I didn’t have a parking permit. My boyfriend “lost” his permit and got a new one. He gave it to me, and now I can park in the school parking lot. I managed to get one, but others aren’t as lucky as I was.

Junior Brianna Wrathall has been driving for eight months. After countless visits to the student store, she still hasn’t received a permit.

“I have an ASB card, which [means] I’m supposed to get a free parking permit,” Wrathall said. “I’m not going to park at the park. People can break into the cars more easily. It also makes people late since they have to walk. I deserve a parking permit because I paid [the ASB card]. I want it. I’m not going to get a ticket.”

After she told me about her struggles with parking, I began to side with her. If she paid the extra $40, she should get a parking permit before those who didn’t. ASB cards have perks. Parking permits should be one because they are so hard to get. Forty dollars should be enough to have priority in getting something so important.

I get to school around 7:15. I usually sit there until 7:40 and by that time, there are still plenty of spaces left.

So, why do they claim there are no more permits left, especially when they are fully aware of the situation? Students without permits complain all the time. Shouldn’t they investigate it further and fix the problem rather than only helping those to nag like crazy or get their parents to complain for them? Solve the issue, and the problem disappears. Instead, they tolerate the constant begging of new drivers. What’s the appeal of that?

There should be some rules behind the permits. I trust that lots of kids walk to school. I don’t care if they have a car or a license. But if they live five minutes away at a walking pace, they should not receive a parking permit. There are kids who live on the other side of Rocklin, like me. It takes me 15-20 minutes to drive to school every morning, even with the freeway route. Point is, if someone lives within walking distance of the school, they don’t get a parking permit.

What if they have to leave school for a doctor’s appointment? Well, get a pass from the attendance office. Maybe some sort of temporary parking permit can be created. Stick it on the dashboard and you get a spot for the day. There’s bound to be someone skipping the day for an illness or something like that.

Also, if there are more permits than spaces, I’m not worried about it being an issue. This is where the saying “the early bird gets the worm” comes into play. Students who wake up on time and make it to school early enough will earn a parking spot. It displays responsibility and the importance of school to those who arrive early. If they don’t care about school and come late, then yay! They earn a spot at Whitney Park. Congratulations! Get to bed earlier next time.

Also, not everyone comes to school every single day. Sickness, trips, family events and sport tournaments are part of life. I doubt there will be a day when every student will arrive. And if there is, then the early birds get the worms. It all boils down to those who care about their academics most.

I’m not trying to insult those who like to sleep in and make it to their class right as the bell rings. I understand that alarm clocks are faulty. Siblings need care if mom and dad are gone or busy. Relationship issues are completely normal. Homework can take all night. Senioritis is practically impossible to overcome. I’m just trying to stress the fact that a few more parking permits can easily be spared. Every day I see unoccupied spaces. How about we stop ticketing people for parking on a public street and hand them a parking permit? At least they are making the effort to get to school. A reasonable thank-you card would be a nice, maroon placard to hang on the rear view mirror.

The school could do a much better job fixing the problem. They know what’s going on, and there are many ways they could solve the problem.

by JENICA DODGE