At USI, one of the first things the Public Safety Office tells students about is the plethora of parking spots on campus, even though it may not be where the student prefers.

Yet, how many of us in the morning or in the afternoon drive down lane after lane searching for a parking spot?

The lanes are filled by 9 a.m., and the students who have afternoon classes better prepare to  start walking. If a student wants a decent parking space, she will have to arrive at least an hour before the class starts, if she is even that lucky.

So, think about a 9 a.m. class and waking up just to get a parking space around 8 a.m. No one wants to do that.

Residential parking is another hectic issue. Those lots fill to the point where residences living in Newman Hall may have to park all the way down past Ruston Hall, just to have a space to park their vehicles.

The Recreation, Fitness and Wellness Center is also close to the residence halls, which makes those who are working out have to park miles away due to lack of non-resident parking places that are already occupied by people living in the residence halls.

Overall, this one question remains: how do we fix the parking issue on campus? Some suggest that freshman do not have cars, which makes sense overall because everything on campus is within a good walking distance.

Another suggestion could be to expand the lots, but that would take a good chunk of money, as well as time. The parking issue is one that remains constant year after year, and is one that has many possible solutions. Let’s stop talking and starting doing.