Masuk Free Press

Every weekday at 7am, the junior lot slowly starts to fill with students eager to flaunt their newly acquired licenses. In the first 2 months of school, I have observed questionable parking, multiple curb hits, and many near accidents. Whether it is someone pulling in at 5 mph or 50 mph, it is clear to anyone who takes a glance that this parking lot is for the new drivers of Masuk High School. But maybe the class of 2025 is not entirely at fault for their bad driving.

Many juniors have expressed their fears of the parking lot. “I have seen people eagerly take up two spaces, I’ve seen people almost hit my car multiple times trying to park their own car,” says junior Kaela Christiano, “I’m always nervous driving in there, and even just having my car in that parking lot.” Having a parking lot reserved for the junior class is convenient, and it can be fun meeting up with friends in the morning or afternoon in the parking lot. 

However, students have to remember that this is not any different than a regular parking lot, you still have to be considerate of other cars and people in the lot. Whether it is students arriving late in the morning, or being eager to get out of school as soon as possible, many forget that driving is all about patience. Not everyone, including myself, is a perfect driver, but maybe it is time for the juniors of Masuk to become aware of how new their abilities to drive truly are.

 “I think the problem is some kids not practicing enough, especially parking,” says junior Parker Connolly. Practice makes perfect, and you can still continue to practice safe driving even after passing the test to get your license. If you find yourself struggling to back in or find yourself parking in two spots, maybe it’s time to go out and practice. I think anyone will agree that taking the time to practice and learn to be able to park properly is better than almost hitting a person or another car. 

  All new drivers are required to complete at least 8 hours of driver ed and many students take up to 30 hours of classroom instruction in order to be allowed to test for their licenses. But for the class of 2025, it’s almost like half of us were asleep during these classes. “I did find drivers ed useful,” says junior Olivia Malewicki, “I think the problem is some kids not practicing enough, and just learning how to be patient.” 

However, there are some opposing opinions on the effectiveness of drivers ed. “Everything I learned about driving was from my parents, drivers ed didn’t help me whatsoever,” says Kaela Christiano. The question then arises is this bad driving because of genuine bad drivers, or the drivers education we all are receiving? Or do students really not pay attention to drivers ed, and rely on the little knowledge they obtained during it to drive. 

Along with the talk about bad driving and drivers ed, the topic of the actual license test is also a hot topic among new drivers. Personally, I thought the test was a joke. “The actual permit test and drivers test is so easy, they let anyone pass.” Says junior Niti Shah.  A common theme I hear and can attest to is that the drivers test is nothing but a casual 10 minute drive, with, of course, a right back in. If the test is taken in Monroe, it is almost guaranteed, unless a freak accident happens, that you will pass, and I rarely ever hear of anyone not passing the first or second time they take it. Although it would become inconvenient to make the driver’s test harder, it may help to prevent people from having to learn safe driving the hard way. 

Overall, it is possible that the class of 2025 isn’t to blame for their bad driving, and the actual system you need to go through to get your license is at fault. 

Despite that, we all need to become more aware of our driving. With this new found freedom also comes responsibility, and it is our job to make sure that we can keep the junior lot as safe as possible for everyone. After all, we are just trying to get through the school day, no one needs to worry about whether their car will get hit in the parking lot during math class.