Kristen Kaylor

A Pay to Park sign on the USM Hattiesburg campus.

Not only is the lack of parking for Southern Miss students frustrating, but it’s discouraging students from getting involved- a problem that could continue to get worse.
The University of Southern Mississippi has an enrollment of roughly 14,146 students. However, there are not nearly as many parking spaces to accommodate that number. Parking has become an issue often discussed by students both on and off campus, as it often feels impossible to do something that should be so simple. This semester has only gotten worse after the closure of the fifth floor of the parking garage as well as sections of Hillcrest parking lot being closed for reconstruction. Students can pay anywhere from $90 to $162 for a parking pass- only to be kicked out of the same spaces they’re supposed to be allowed to park in. Several students have shared that they have either almost witnessed or been in a wreck due to others “racing” for an open spot.
“I have been late to class due to no available parking,” says Amber Shepherd, a senior who lives off campus. “I have almost gotten into accidents on numerous occasions from others racing to get to the only available spot where a student had just pulled out of.”
Due to these frustrations surrounding the parking situations, students end up late for classes or events- or don’t show up at all. Many claim that they have had to rearrange their entire schedules to be able to make time just to find a parking spot on campus. On a good day, you might get lucky and find a spot right away. On other days, students say that it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours just to find a parking space. It is also common for students who live on-campus to have to park in parking lots away from their dorms, resulting in having to walk up to half a mile from their car to their respective dorms. Several female students say that this makes them feel unsafe; especially for those who return to campus late at night after work or other off-campus events. Students with medical conditions and disabilities also say that being unable to park near their dorms or classes can be unnecessarily stressful.
“For someone who has heart problems and disability it’s really annoying and hard for me,” says Garrett Sampson, a sophomore on campus. “I stay at McCarty and every weekend I have to move my car across campus because of the game, which is about a 30-minute walk.”
Another big issue that students often point out is the parking situations when it comes to football games. When Southern Miss has a home football game on weekends, students are instructed to move their vehicles out of all but four parking lots so that visitors and RVs can be parked on campus for tailgating and games. USM warns students that anyone who does not vacate the respective parking lots by 5pm on Fridays will be fined and can be towed. With the closure of the fifth floor of the parking garage and sections of the Hillcrest parking lot already, many students struggle to find secure parking during the weekend.
“I’m sick of moving my car for football weekends so they can use the parking we pay for,” says Nick Sparrow, a junior living on campus. “Where do they expect us to park? I’m sick of this.”
But it’s not just finding parking that students have to worry about; it’s being able to stay in that parking spot. Many students end up receiving warnings or citations due to parking in areas that they are not allowed to park in; usually because there are no available spots in the areas they are permitted to park in. Simply parking in an unpermitted area can cost a student $50 minimum and can get up to $300 for the same reason, which includes a $100 fine for having their vehicle towed. Students are able to submit an appeal for their citations if they feel that it was unfair, but have to file said appeal within five days of receiving the citation. However, as stated on USM’s Parking and Transit Services website, “inability to find a legal parking space” and “no spaces available” are not acceptable reasons for dismissing a citation, among other conditions.
Overall, the lack of adequate parking on campus is an issue that most students can relate to. It is something that needs to be addressed in order to avoid both unnecessary fines and extra stress. As college students, we have enough to deal with- worrying about getting a citation or being towed is not one of the things we should be concerned about every time we come to campus. On top of fines and frustration, students say that being unable to attend classes or events makes them feel as though they are disconnected from the Southern Miss culture and community. This problem is one that should be acknowledged as soon as possible; as college students, parking should be the least of our worries.