The Prospector (Helena, Mont.) 1916-2015, February 01, 2007, Image 8

Page 8 PHOTO BY LAUREL CIFALA Cars fill a parking lot at Carroll College recently. P a r k i n g i s t o o e x p e n s i v e Carroll College parking is expen­ sive. The current prices for permits in A lots are $ 150 and B lots $75. This outra­ geous expense for park­ ing is terrible because the average student is already paying $25,460 annually to attend Carroll. It seems like the administration is trying to nickel and dime their students to death. Carroll does provide free parking on campus, but because students who pay for tickets are also able to use the free spaces it makes it extremely hard to find a space that is not in use. Carroll’s fee for parking permits seems even more outlandish when compared to Gonzaga University, a private Jesuit school located in Spokane, Washington which has about 4,150 students. Gonzaga has one standard fee for a parking permit of $50. This means that as long as a student has a parking per­ mit they can park anywhere they want. The price for Carroll parking seems even more extreme when it is compared to The University of Montana Western, located in Dillon, Montana which has about 1,200 students. UM Western does not have a separate fee for student parking, instead it is included in the cost of tuition. It seems like Carroll could learn a lesson from both UM Western and Gonzaga when it comes to park­ ing. The administration should not only lower the price of the parking permits, but also change their park­ ing arrangements. There should be one price for parking permits and A and B lots should be eliminated making parking spaces first come first serve. Categorizing parking as A and B lots seems discriminating to students. Why should someone have to pay more money to park in an A lot than in a B lot. It just doesn’t make any sense because the parking lots are not that far away from each other. It just seems like Carroll is overcharging for permits just to make some extra money. Everyone pays the same price for tuition, so why can’t we all do the same for parking? There should just be one price for park­ ing permits and the students should be allowed to park anywhere on campus they want. It is time for the parking discrimination at Carroll to end. Student opinion KATIE SATRE Buying books is a grueling task PHOTO BY LAUREL CIFALA Scottie Rice, foreground, John Barnett and Nick Milodragiavich browse books at the Carroll bookstore Once that big semester bill is paid off most students would like to take a deep breath and think that the worst is over. Over, that is, until they real­ ize that they have yet to buy books. Often times it is a grueling task to buy books ev­ ery semester from the school bookstore. The first step is figuring out which books you need. Then, you are forced to carry the weight of your books all at once in an undersized basket. Next, you must wait in a long line holding these books because everyone else is frantically doing the same thing you are. Then the total comes. You thought tuition put the only dent in your pocket. Well, you thought wrong. Books will often cost you another couple hundred dollars. Many of you have taken General Psychology, as it is one of the more populated classes on campus. Did you know the General Psychology book you sold back last semester for $50 is currently selling in our bookstore for $75 in a used condition? Students can become smarter consumers if they look into an alternative solution known as Amazon, com. Amazon.com buys and sells new and used books. Sometimes the books sell for the same price, but if you keep scrolling and searching you can usually find the exact book you need for a cheaper price. The books are also delivered right to your doorstep for maximum convenience. Once you are done with your book you can sell it back to the website and make a profit for yourself rather than let the school make another profit from you. I recommend for everyone currently enrolled in classes to go online to Amazon.com and look at how much your current books are selling for. Compare the prices and do the math. Do not go as long as I did without checking into this website that has the potential to save you, and even possibly make you, money when buying your books. Student opinion LISA POTTER Thursday, February 1,2007 Velum e90No.4