By Grace Destefano

One perk of being a senior at Winsor is having your own parking spot for a semester. Before the school year starts, the names of those seniors who requested a parking spot are put into a lottery system. When your name is drawn, you can choose which semester you want parking as long as spots for that semester are not filled up already. Senior parking privileges pair nicely with the senior privileges to both arrive at school late if your classes start later and leave school when your classes for the day have finished. 

Commuting to and from school, especially when you live an hour away with traffic, is extremely difficult for many Winsor students who have after-school extracurricular activities and a lot of homework. Parking at Winsor is also a great alternative to parking in the MASCO garage because it is very expensive. Being able to drive instead of taking the T or the bus can save students a lot of time, something seniors definitely appreciate. Lydia Morris-Kliment ’23 said, “I really appreciate having a spot because, with senior privileges, I can get to and from school pretty much whenever. Also, as an athlete, having a spot makes life easier because I can get home from off-campus practices and games a little faster. I also like driving my friends home!”

Since having parking privileges is so beneficial, it is important to also consider the ways in which the system can be improved. For example, the lottery system should prioritize students who live farther from school over students with short commutes. Students with longer commutes should have their names cast in the lottery multiple times, increasing their chances of getting first priority to choose which semester they want parking. Athletes should also get a higher priority because it is often harder for students to find transportation in the evening since there are no school-provided buses after practice. That means that athletes have to either take the T, ride a Boston city bus, or get a ride from an adult. For the students fortunate enough to have access to a car, parking at Winsor is a nice alternative. 

When asked if she would change anything about parking privileges, Caroline Friendly ’23 said, “I would like if there was a system where people could say whether they would be absent from school or not parking on a certain day, and then the parking could be given out daily.” She brings up a great point, and perhaps the senior class can find a way to make this system possible. Senior parking is definitely a popular option at Winsor, and it is interesting to consider the ways it can be even more productively used for students.