Hayden Peters
In a highschool parking lot where over half of the student body parks, accidents may be common. Over the years, frustration has grown over the lack of driving skills from underclassmen with new licenses. However, “sophomores do not deserve to be labeled bad drivers,” said sophomore Nico Prather.
“I have been unfairly labeled as a bad driver, so has half of the grade. Just because we’re young we do not deserve to be stereotyped when literally every high schooler is a terrible driver,” said Prather.
In October, Prather was called out by a group of seniors for speeding through the parking lot and running over curbs. He said that this particular incident was a misunderstanding, and that he does not earn the “bad driver” stigma. Sophomores believe that this disconnect is found consistently between 10th and 12th graders, but the truth of the issue is clouded in bias, according to Prather.
As the school year goes on from August to May, all new drivers begin to learn the ins and outs of the high school parking lot, including how to dodge curbs and use the “zipper method” after dismissal. These norms form over time, but not with upperclassmen drivers leading the parking lot flow, said Prather.
“It’s really not what it seems, all the seniors suck just as much as we do. I can’t even tell you how many juniors and seniors I know that take five tries to park in the morning. They need to stop blaming the parking and traffic on us; she means nothing” said Prather.
As another year ends and a new one is on the horizon, the parking lot will continue to be a place where accidents happen and curb shots occur. Who is to blame will always remain a question.
“I speak for all sophomores olds when I say, ‘it’s not just us. The rest of the parking lot is just as bad. Stop blaming us’,” Prather said.
