Driving a New Policy to Curb Illicit Activities
Administration limits parking lot access to two minutes to discourage questionable student behavior
By Faith Martinez
Administration limits parking lot access to two minutes to discourage questionable student behavior
By Faith Martinez
On the morning of Sept. 12, students huddled in their cars after Senior Sunrise, celebrating the milestone with coffee, music and friends, when they were suddenly kicked out of the cars on the premise of the two-minute rule.
In early September, the administration implemented the new rule, which allows students a maximum of two minutes in the parking to retrieve or drop off items at their cars. While some students are understanding of the reasoning behind this guideline, many are upset that their parking lot access is restricted during the school day.
Assistant Principal of Discipline Tim Gavello said that the administration is trying to compromise with students while enforcing the new rule. He recognizes that the students would like to be able to have access to their cars, but still feels that the school has a responsibility to keep students safe.
“We’re trying to work with the students to drop off their books so they don’t have to carry the books the entire day,” said Gavello. “In between classes or brunch, we allow students to go to the parking lot for two minutes and drop off their earlier books and return. We don’t want students hanging out by their cars.”
Students like Emily Nguyen, 12, are upset by the rule change. She finds it to be a frustrating inconvenience that stems from the administration’s fear of students using the parking lot for vaping and vandalism.
“My point of view is if 90% of the school population isn’t doing anything wrong, why are we punishing everyone when only 10% of the people are the problem,” said Nguyen. “It’s just a hassle for everyone else.”
Because the school does not provide lockers to store school materials such as binders, textbooks and laptops, students like Moneasia Norris, 11, take advantage of their cars and use them as a storage place for these items.
“The new parking rules have affected me because I leave my things in my car for cheer. I also leave any heavy textbooks that I have in my backpack in my car because carrying it throughout the day is very heavy,” said Norris.
Campus supervisor Jim Coover, who primarily covers the parking lots, defended the administration’s rules in regards to the parking lot and sees them as necessary to deter questionable behavior that takes place throughout the school day.
“It’s to discourage malingering, lingering and loitering in the parking lot, which some kids will do for 40 minutes. They’re playing loud, sometimes very inappropriate, music,” said Coover. “There also used to be a big vaping problem. It’s to discourage unsupervised time on campus. I’m all about having fun, just not here.”
In early September, the administration implemented the new rule, which allows students a maximum of two minutes in the parking to retrieve or drop off items at their cars. While some students are understanding of the reasoning behind this guideline, many are upset that their parking lot access is restricted during the school day.
Assistant Principal of Discipline Tim Gavello said that the administration is trying to compromise with students while enforcing the new rule. He recognizes that the students would like to be able to have access to their cars, but still feels that the school has a responsibility to keep students safe.
“We’re trying to work with the students to drop off their books so they don’t have to carry the books the entire day,” said Gavello. “In between classes or brunch, we allow students to go to the parking lot for two minutes and drop off their earlier books and return. We don’t want students hanging out by their cars.”
Students like Emily Nguyen, 12, are upset by the rule change. She finds it to be a frustrating inconvenience that stems from the administration’s fear of students using the parking lot for vaping and vandalism.
“My point of view is if 90% of the school population isn’t doing anything wrong, why are we punishing everyone when only 10% of the people are the problem,” said Nguyen. “It’s just a hassle for everyone else.”
Because the school does not provide lockers to store school materials such as binders, textbooks and laptops, students like Moneasia Norris, 11, take advantage of their cars and use them as a storage place for these items.
“The new parking rules have affected me because I leave my things in my car for cheer. I also leave any heavy textbooks that I have in my backpack in my car because carrying it throughout the day is very heavy,” said Norris.
Campus supervisor Jim Coover, who primarily covers the parking lots, defended the administration’s rules in regards to the parking lot and sees them as necessary to deter questionable behavior that takes place throughout the school day.
“It’s to discourage malingering, lingering and loitering in the parking lot, which some kids will do for 40 minutes. They’re playing loud, sometimes very inappropriate, music,” said Coover. “There also used to be a big vaping problem. It’s to discourage unsupervised time on campus. I’m all about having fun, just not here.”