March 29, 2024

Why not help us with parking?

This archived article was written by: Shawn Sackett

Recently CEU has had several issues with parking. With the construction of the Reeves Building, students dind it difficult to find parking near their classes. Some students found it so difficult that they parked in the mud by the Reeves Building.
“The school needs to pave the area where the old main building was. That would give us more parking. I even noticed some who can’t find parking will park in the mud west of Reeves,” states Kristina Blackburn.
Until we get that problem fixed, we could use all the help we can get regarding campus parking. The parking lot to the north of the LDS Fourth Ward Building and southeast of the BDAC has been blocked off to students. Being LDS myself, along with 75-80 percent of the students here. I have never known of the church not be willing to help the community. “The [LDS] Church is so keen on helping out the community, so why won’t they help us by giving us a parking place?” said Leslie McBride.
“Why can’t the [LDS] Church and CEU make some negotiations and a compromise on times when the parking lot is available to students and times when it can’t. It is taking more effort to fight for parking than it would to make a compromise on when students can park there,” expressed Morgan Hampton.
Some students have even found it difficult to park in their dorm parking lot. ” Every little bit helps. I know that when I leave during the day, I can’t get a parking space outside of my dorm because everyone parks in the dorm parking lot due to the lack of parking we have at CEU. In the end, if the [LDS] Church would open it up to us when they aren’t using it, that would clear up that much space for everyone else,” DeEsta Peherson explained.
” I don’t think it would hurt if the [LDS] Church would let the students park there, that way the off campus students don’t park in the dorm spots so that I don’t have anywhere to park,” stated Mary Pickering.
In fact other churches around other universities such as BYU and Utah State Universities share their parking lots with the students to make it easier for them to go to school.
“The churches around other universities in the state allow parking to students so why should CEU be any different,” said DeLeon Lee.
Those parking spaces may seem insignificant but their location could be beneficial to students who live off campus, have children, jobs and who don’t have time to leave 20 minutes early and walk a block or more just to get to class.
“Living off campus, being a full-time student and having a busy schedule, I don’t have time to drive around looking for a parking spot. Having even 12 extra spots would help out, though it doesn’t seem like it,” Jimmy Oaks added.
The LDS Church should be willing to work with the college students to utilize its parking lot instead of handing out tickets (especially to its membership that paid for that parking lot) and towing their cars.