Parking at O’Dowd has always been a popular discussion, whether it’s the seniors entering the lottery for a parking spot, juniors starting the drive to school, or deans getting mad at students for parking in the neighborhoods. Since O’Dowd resides on a hill and in a neighborhood, there is not a lot of space for parking, even though many students at O’Dowd drive themselves.
Not only is parking in the neighborhood tough on students, forcing many to get to school early to avoid parking 10 minutes away from school, but it is also a disturbance to neighbors. Students block driveways, take a neighbor’s spot, or play their music way too loudly. Even the school has requested students to not park in the neighborhood many times, students without campus spots have no choice but to continue to do so because of the lack of parking elsewhere.
One solution the Deans have created to attempt to solve this parking problem is by offering parking spaces at the zoo. Students are able to sign up for a parking spot at the Oakland Zoo and take a shuttle to and from O’Dowd. However, this option has been criticized because the shuttle leaves too early from the zoo and too late from school, forcing students to wake up earlier and stay on campus later.
Claire Moody, a senior who won a parking spot on campus agreed to interview. She won an on campus parking spot in August when the lottery for seniors was drawn. As a junior, Claire parked in the neighborhood for the whole year. When asked about how an on campus parking spot has affected her daily life, she excitedly explained how much easier and less stressful her mornings are. She is able to wake up later, leave for school later, and can easily walk straight to class without a big hill to hike up. She said, “It is amazing and so much better than parking in the neighborhood. I am so lucky to have received a parking spot.”
Not only is the race to get a parking spot stressful students are often forced to park in tight, makeshift spots. It is particularly hard for students to parallel park, especially when all the parents who dropped off their kids are waiting to get down the hill. Claire added that as a junior, when she parked in the neighborhood she would be 10 to 15 minutes late to school most days. She would drive around multiple times looking for a spot and simply hope that the spot she found was not in a towing zone. The anxiety that arises when the loudspeaker comes on and Ms. Donahue starts announcing a car that needs to move, is a feeling that every driving student at O’Dowd recognizes.
It is clear that parking at O’Dowd is an issue that most upperclassmen face, however, finding a solution is proving to be very difficult. The school community should come together to brainstorm ways to fix this parking drought, if not for the seniors, then for Ms. Donahue’s sake.
