by Elisa Kurkimäki
Exam season is just around the corner, and with it comes change. For the first time in years, parking around the Ben Avery building will no longer be free for students during exam periods.
The parking regulations that are implemented during the semester will continue to be applied during the 3 week period of exams. Students who currently have a parking pass will be required to park in their designated lot and follow the rules and regulations that come with their pass.
With certain parking passes, students are able to park in different lots after 3 pm, which will still be in effect during the exam period. Students who don’t have a parking pass, or who would like a closer parking spot, will have to pay for parking in the pay lots around campus.
“That’s in practice basically across Ontario universities, so we’re just trying to find some parity with what other universities are doing and with what our guidelines already state for parking policies” Benjamin Demianiuk, who recently gained the role of determining the parking regulations, said.
Although parking around the Ben Avery building has been free during exam season for the past few years, students who have had exams in the Science building or Fraser building still have had to pay at pay lots.
“We’re applying the rules equally across campus. I firmly believe in following rules, [whether] they might make sense or [not]. If we have a rule in place and we’re applying it in one place and not somewhere else, it just doesn’t make much sense to me” Demianiuk said.
Although the intentions of implementing these parking regulations were meant to be fair to all students on campus, some students have had some negative reactions when the allegations were posted on Umentioned Laurentian.
“I don’t understand why they would do this since classes aren’t running during exam time [as] there is significantly less people on campus, which in turn means less people using those lots” Stephanie Killoran, a current Laurentian student, said.
“I would rather spend that time getting myself together and ready to write a final, instead of worrying about parking and how long it would take me to get to the gym.”
Killoran, who currently has a parking pass for lot 15, said “[students] are already stressed enough as it is.”
Another concern that was raised was for students who don’t have a parking pass, but instead pay hourly for parking on campus.
Abbi-Lynn Anstey, a Laurentian student who doesn’t currently have a parking pass, says that she
understands the reasoning behind wanting to restrict the amount of parking for those lots, but it’s actually a huge burden on those [students] who don’t have passes for those lots, or passes at all.
“As students, we have enough to worry about during exams, and now this is definitely adding stress to the situation. Laurentian campus is rather large and walking from class to class is already difficult, especially winter,” Anstey said.
“Not allowing others to park in the lots near the Ben Avery will force the majority of us to park on the opposite side of campus, which isn’t ideal if you have exams all day” Anstey said.
Although some students are upset about now having to pay for parking at the Ben Avery lot during exam periods, those who have purchased parking passes for lot 14 are relieved.
Complaints have been made to the University in past years by students who have paid to park in their designated lot but are unable to due to their full capacity by others who did not hold a valid parking pass.
Students can expect to see these new parking regulations come into effect during exam season in December.