It’s important to respect your elders. Seniors, being the elders of the school, have priority over the lowerclassmen and juniors beneath them. But seniority shouldn’t be the only factor that goes into who gets the privilege of driving home, and who gets left in the dust.

Distance and time are obstacles for students living in the outermost reaches of the district. Students without viable transportation shouldn’t have to sacrifice more sleep than they already don’t get on their way to school. Meanwhile, a senior who could comfortably walk to school can hop in their car and arrive at school in a matter of seconds. The Center of Disease Control and Prevention states that students aged 13-18 need 8-10 hours of sleep, in contrast to the seven hours the average teenager clocks in.

While certain students view the school bus as an adequate way to get to school, others would do anything to avoid it. The New York Times dubbed the school bus the “loser cruiser” and called it the “ultimate embarrassment.” Those hot tin cans with wheels provide a nauseating experience, perfect if you want a headache or pit stains.

Due to the hatred toward buses, carpool is a popular alternative. Carpools are not only a great way to get to school, but an opportunity to spend more time with friends. Students who cannot drive and with no connection to seniors must rely on their parents to get to school. It’s a real pain for parents to drive their children to school, as they have other things they need to attend to in their busy lives. If more seniors carpooled with their friends, and more juniors carpooled with their friends, there would be a plethora of spaces to go around for students, regardless of grade.

Neighborhoods surrounding schools often complain about unlawful parking backing up their streets, and our school is no exception. Through carpooling, these vehicles wouldn’t need to line the streets, leading to a happier community around the school.

This parking lot situation is only getting worse as time passes. According to a study by AAA, the number of licensed teen drivers is on the rise, yet the number of spaces in our lot remains the same. Until the school adds more spaces to the lot, or allows students to park on the grass, or some strange third alternative, there will continue to be illegally-parked cars brimming the sides of roads and anywhere else cars can be parked.

Why should seniors be given spaces regardless of their necessity? It’s understandable that seniors deserve the spotlight, and the other classes beneath them need to wait their turn. That being said, when it comes to getting a proper education by arriving at school in one piece, seniority shouldn’t be a factor in this equation.