Students debated the proposal to ban freshmen from parking on-campus at the speech forum held Monday in the Cotillion Ballroom with an outcome of 112 con votes and 28 pro votes.
Jaret Hubbell, psychology senior from Thibodaux, served as the speaker for the pro side of the issue. Holly Garrison, mass communication senior from Thibodaux, served as his opponent speaking for the con side. Richard Bello, associate professor of speech moderated the forum.
Hubbell said the three main reasons freshmen should be banned from parking on-campus. His first point was that the University is already requiring incoming freshman to live on-campus until the completion of 90 credit hours unless they meet the previous stated requirements.
The next point was that the upperclassman should have seniority. Hubbell said that upper classmen should have the privilege of choosing from among the best parking spots available.
“A chance at a closer parking spot is not a lot for the upper classmen to ask for, considering the amount of time we have invested into Nicholls. I am all about seniority; and, banning the freshmen from parking on-campus would cut back on the flood of cars,” Hubbell said.
The last point that Hubbell made was that requiring freshman to reside in the resident halls without easy access to a car would force students to remain on-campus. Hubbell said that if students remain on-campus they would get more involved in organizations, have more school spirit and the overall morale of the University would increase.
“The freshmen should take advantage of having a fuller college experience but if they do not want to take pride and honor into what they pump their money into that’s ok,” Hubbell said.
Garrison then stepped up ready to debate Hubbell. She started off by stating that there was no parking problem at Nicholls but that there was a “perceived parking problem conjured up by people who do not know what a real parking problem is.” She said the average student should be able to walk from Elkins to Guidry stadium in under 15 minutes. Garrison said that compared to larger universities such as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the parking problem at Nicholls is imaginary.
Her first point was that the idea of banning freshmen from parking on-campus would reflect poorly on the University as an institution. Garrison stated that the ban would result in the decrease of safety at the University as well as a decrease in University enrollment.
She pointed out that Nicholls does not provide a shuttle system for students to get to their vehicles if they are required to park off-campus and that freshmen will become the targets of crime. If their cars are parked off-campus the freshmen will not be protected by University police and will be more vulnerable to car jacking, towing, attacks and damaged or stolen property.
Garrison concluded her argument by offering three alternative methods that would be less extreme. Her first method would be to require freshmen to park in the stadium parking lot, which always has more than enough spaces available.
Her next alternative solution would be to encourage students to carpool and offer a carpool parking lot located behind Talbot Hall or behind the Student Union.
The last solution Garrison offered to the upperclassmen would be to arrive at school a little earlier if they wanted first pick at parking spots.
“The freshmen should not have to suffer because the upperclassmen have perceived parking problems. (The freshmen) should not be used as scapegoats for our gripes,” she said.