Some things just don’t belong in certain places.

Take, for example, the kitten in the tree, the man in the women’s restroom or tires on the grass. However, when the parking lots in front of the Oval get full, that is exactly where some cars can be found, on the grass. When one sees the crowded parking lots, it can make some wonder what the problem is. Does Missouri Southern not have enough parking places?

Ken Kennedy, manager of the Department of Public Safety, doesn’t think Southern have a serious conflict with parking.

“We don’t have a parking problem,” Kennedy said. “We have a walking problem.”

There are some parking lots that are usually not full, but in some cases they are not too close to the needed building either. For example, Lot 43, by the tennis courts, and Lot 18, behind Taylor Hall, are hardly ever full. Some improvements have been made to make parking easier on students. Lot 42, on the northeast corner of Duquesne Road and

Newman Road, rarely has more than six cars in it. And last year, to help students cross safely, the University had crosswalks put in at the stoplights.

Bryndi Reynolds, sophomore nursing major, agrees that Southern doesn’t have a problem.

“The only time [parking] is a problem is when school first starts,” Reynolds said. “Otherwise, it is just a matter of getting over that horrible fear of having to walk further than convenience will allow.”

Bob Harrington, director of the physical plant and risk manager, and Kennedy did mention a couple of suggestions for students. The first is for students to make sure their vehicles are registered. If students would register their vehicles than it would be easier for the Department of Public Safety to know whether it is a visitor or student that was using student parking, which would open up the parking lots a little bit more. The second solution is for students to allow themselves plenty of time to park. This way the students will have time to walk if needed. However, Kennedy was not too worried about the problem with parking.

“It’s a situation that always works itself out,” he said.

Harrington stressed that if a student does have a problem with parking for them to come to the Department of Public Safety office. He said that they would do their best to help them.