“After Break Update: Parking Lot 4, Student Lot Closure,” reads an email sent by Jessica Emmerson on Wednesday, January 11th at 11:08 a.m. For student drivers returning to school after a two-week-long winter break, this inconvenience only adds to the heightened anxiety of waking up on time, driving before the sun rises, and finding a place to park in the jungle known as the student parking lots. Exasperated by this news, I found myself imagining a birds eye view of the condensed lot, planning out where I’d leave my car for the school day, and more importantly how much sleep I was going to lose from waking up early to find an acceptable spot. 

 At first I was convinced that the construction taking place in parking lot 4 was nothing but a nuisance, and my mindset was fueled – and supported – by my fellow student drivers. I can admit, without context for this decision, the closure of an entire parking lot seems inconvenient at best, and pointless at worst. For junior Carson Cannatella, the irritation was mutual. 

  “The changes during the school year are unnecessary, especially as we are already overcrowding and constantly getting new drivers,” Cannatella said. 

 This was the frustration I harbored until I sat down with assistant principal Dan Swafford, who shared the expansive multi-step plan the school has put in place for students’ benefit. It was then that my eyes were opened and I saw my behavior for what it was: self-centered and close minded. If student drivers ever so graciously adapt to the new parking situation, the school will accommodate the growing number of athletic, Project Lead the Way (PLTW), and performing arts students. I, for one, am willing to make that sacrifice. 

 The first part of the phasing plan is aimed at helping the athletic department. By May 2024, NHS will be sporting an array of new additions. One of the most notable is the expansion of the auxiliary gym, including a wood-floor court where basketball games will be held. 

 “Essentially, take [the existing gym space] and double it,” Swafford said. With these exciting additions, students should be more than happy to park further away from the school doors in order to allow future generations to be able to use these amenities. Athletic, PLTW, and performing art students will soon be able to utilize an array of expanded spaces for their individual passions.

  The multistep phasing plan is an unbeatable opportunity for all students, and who are we as drivers to say that our minuscule inconvenience is more valuable than shaping the future student body? The development of this plan is a step in the right direction, so who cares about parking in the scheme of something as grand as this? While I won’t be able to use the amenities this four-step plan has to offer, we should be thrilled for future Millers to be able to attend NHS with more opportunities at their fingertips.