Upper Lot has the Upper Hand

ElliePeter

Isn’t it best to always have the upper hand? In the upper parking lot, you’re in better standing than the rest of the Crusaders in the battle of parking. The argument of which parking lot is the best has reigned throughout the history of Marian, but when it comes down to the final fight, cars parked in Upper clearly have superiority over the other parking lots. 

The Upper parking lot is the shortest walk to the building, which provides needed relief on a cold morning. It also holds an advantage at the end of the school day; as it’s the shortest walk, drivers can be in and out of the parking lot easily, given that you are speed walking to your car as soon as the clock strikes three. 

Even Upper’s closest lot, L, or Lower, is superior to PAC and Soph. Some may say the smaller lot is tough to get out of, but I disagree. Reversing out of your spot is a tricky game, but you will eventually perfect it after getting cut off one too many times. The worst spot in L is the one facing the MAC (Marian athletic center) and right next to the cemetery. You are not getting out of that spot anytime soon. 

However, the downfall of Upper is how fast it gets filled up. I get to school between 7:10-7:15, so the opportunity to park in the best lot is still there. Unfortunately, any later than that is a bit of a gamble. Nonetheless, I’m going to continue taking my chances in the best Marian parking lot, AKA, Upper.

PAC Lot Perfection

ReaganGraeve

Reliable and close, the Performing Arts Center or PAC lot as most students know it, will forever be the best parking lot at Marian. 

Picture this: it’s 7:35 a.m. and the parking lots are quickly filling up with girls who wanted that extra 15 minutes of sleep. You’re a part of this majority as well. You start to pick apart your options. Upper is definitely filled. Those spots are reserved for girls that wake up much earlier than you. Maybe there’s a spot left in L? You know it’s a treacherous game if there’s not. Good luck trying to turn around. But you know one thing for certain: you’re definitely not walking up the soph lot hill. 

You do what any logical Marian girl would do. You drive through the PAC lot, comforted by the knowledge that if you don’t find a parking spot, you can leave through the second exit. No need to turn around and waste precious time. You’ll just be one step closer to getting the first spot in soph. 

This scenario seems to happen to me almost every day, and most days, I get my spot in the PAC lot. This is likely due to the new drivers who love to skip spots in PAC (please try not to do this), leaving perfect last minute spots for drivers, like me, who want a few extra minutes of sleep. 

Now, I’m not one for walking up hills, much less sprinting to avoid being late. PAC lot is by far the easiest walk because it’s the least inclined. I’m not a fan of waiting in lines either. At the end of the day, it’s one of the closest parking lots to the exit, making it one of the fastest parking lots to leave. 

Underclassmen and new drivers, prepare yourself for early mornings. The PAC lot won’t always be this empty at 7:30 a.m. As more students get their license, the more spots will be taken earlier. In the second semester, consider yourself lucky to have any other parking spot anywhere other than the soph lot after 7:20 a.m. 

‘Soph Lot’ Superiority

BrookeHerdzina

Do you want to get a good leg workout in the morning? Do you want to feel the same sense of elation one would feel after completing a marathon? Then park in the Soph lot at Marian. 

This lot features a mountainous hill that will truly get your quads burning. The parking lot is not for the faint of heart, and only certain students are bold enough to brave this trek. 

The infamous parking lot wasn’t coined “Soph Lot” for no reason. The space was originally meant for sophomore students, while upperclassmen had priority for the closer lots. Nowadays, the lots are first come, first serve, and Marian girls camp out like they would a Taylor Swift concert in order to get the “best” parking spots, which usually doesn’t include Soph Lot. 

Over the years, this parking lot has gotten a bad reputation among students. 

Many athletes especially have personal vendettas against this lot since the hill doubles as a form of conditioning for sports. The hill doesn’t look too appealing to most girls after sprinting up it 10 times. Other students want a closer walk without a steep hike or prefer to be closer to the school exits. 

This hate is undeserved. Parking in the lower lot has many benefits. Choosing this lot means choosing sleep. Students who park in this lot will not have to get to school over an hour early to fight for a spot. There are always plenty of open spots in Soph Lot, even if you pull in 15 minutes after the bell has rung. This means that this extra time can be spent getting glorious sleep and maybe even Starbucks if you feel like it. 

Soph lot students also get to appreciate some time in nature. Because the walk is longer, there is more time to admire the sunrise and maybe even spot some birds in the sky. 

While soph is the lowest lot, it deserves the highest honor in my opinion. Soph Lot will always be a reliable option and a shared Marian experience among all students.