I am far too considerate to barge into the NIU Parking Services office and scream at the innocent workers, so I will express my deep anger and frustration peacefully by writing this letter to the editor.

It’s no secret that we have had an exceptionally frigid and snowy winter. Even those of us who enjoy snow have had enough by now. Being a logical person, I understand that this snow has caused quite an inconvenience to NIU students, faculty and staff; including the maintenance employees whose job it is to plow the parking lots. I imagine that the snow has been incredibly frustrating for them, and I am sure they are doing their best to rid our parking lots of this plentiful precipitation.

The reality is, however, that it’s just not good enough. Despite the obvious efforts to clear streets, sidewalks and parking lots, there is still a lot of snow and ice. Aside from being hazardous to drivers and pedestrians, the icy snow covers lines in the parking lots making it nearly impossible for drivers to know if they are parking in an actual spot. Because of this, people leave huge gaps between cars and take up more parking spaces than is necessary. Unfortunately, the snow issue doesn’t stop there. Snow that has been plowed is left in the corners and sides of parking lots all over campus further decreasing the number of available parking spaces.

For a university with such a large number of faculty and students who drive to campus every day, this creates more than just a little problem; it’s a nightmare. Students often arrive on campus immediately following jobs or other commitments, and regardless of how early before class they get here, they cannot find a place to park.

Personally, I have been biting my tongue and dealing with these frustrations all winter long. To be honest, I have had enough. I may not be a finance major, and I may not be the best at budgeting funds; but if I were someone who played a role in deciding how money is spent at this university, I would certainly push to have more than enough tucked away for snow removal. We live in northern Illinois. We get snow and plenty of it.

Ensuring that parking is available for dedicated students who go to class should be a priority for NIU. I pay way too much money to drive here and not attend class because I cannot find anywhere to park. I paid for the parking pass that I am oftentimes unable to use due to lack of parking spots. I’m not a business major, but I’m pretty sure it’s unprofessional to fail to provide the customer with the goods or services that he or she paid for.

We students put a lot of money into this university. All I’m asking is for a place to park when I make the effort to come to class in the middle of winter.

Christina Altergott, Graduate

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