If you haven’t been paying attention, administration has had it up to their heads with students parking illegally. Though announced throughout the entire first quarter and beginning of the third after the winter break, students have been neglecting the rules that come with parking on campus. As a sophomore, especially, driving to school has become quite a challenge as Lake Mary High School has had to turn away students willing to pay for the pass. Principal Kotkin finally has taken some action, despite the complaints of angry students.

It’s no secret that the junior and senior classes are enormous this year. The sophomores didn’t luck out as I did last year, as I got a parking pass I soon as school resumed after winter break. Mr. Kotkin knows that there are kids that want to drive to school, but in reality, the parking lot just isn’t big enough. We all know this. Jenna Maier, a junior, stated, “Honestly I do think the aggression works because several people have had their cars towed since that day he brought the ample amount of trucks, and he constantly announces the price of the towing over the intercom in the morning so I think that since he finally brought the tow trucks to school, people have stopped parking because before they didn’t take him seriously.” Overpopulation is a serious issue, as seen in school such as Seminole High School where they are building a separate building for freshmen in following years. As the APUSH students would recognize, this Big Stick Diplomacy on Principal Kotkin’s part accurately asses the situation.

Of course, some students will never learn to accept the school’s careful discipline. Without regulation, the lot would be even more hectic than on a Friday afternoon. Junior Michael Hubbard said, “The parking lot problem at our school should be of largest concern. Perhaps instead of having one day where a group of tow trucks take cars, just have regularly scheduled visits to check that we’re following the rules. One thing I do like is when Mr. Morgan comes out and directs the traffic leaving school- everything just flows like clockwork it could help to have others help out too at each exit of the school.” Though the tow trucks are scary looking to most students, the need for them continues to be relevant. Like Hubbard stated, having a schedule of towing would most Kiley regulate parking. In the end, people are always going to illegally park, though, and they will be punished.

The parking lot is important to the upperclassmen of the school, and this year it’s served as a privilege to obtain a parking pass. Just as they say driving is a privilege- not a right- so being able to park on campus. The raffles did a fair job of granting sophomores with passes, but those benefits will surely end if the student body doesn’t illustrate its capability of following directions and school rules. These tow trucks wouldn’t be necessary if it weren’t for people taking advantage of the spacious curbs and grass areas, expecting to be overlooked.