NASH has lots of student car that occupy the parking lot throughout school days. Though traffic can be intense, there are some unspoken rules to help regulate the flow of traffic and make sure that everyone gets in and out quickly.

“You should always let one person out of the parking lot before you,” explained junior Emily Gierczynski, who drives to school every day.

Many student drivers are recent license earners, which makes the parking lot even more dangerous. Some teachers have expressed concerns about students driving themselves to school early in the morning.

“Earning a driver’s license is a rite of passage in a teenager’s life, and it is also the most precarious,” said English teacher Mrs. Tallerico. “Driving comes with a lot of responsibility. I definitely worry about all student drivers and hope they are focusing on the task at hand instead of being on their phone.”

Some students are even getting tired of the slow process of getting out of the building in the afternoon.

“I think the whole parking process is annoying. We all just got our licenses, and very few of us know how to park,” said junior Emily Yanchak. “I think it’s especially funny when it snows. No one can see the lines in the morning, so when the snow is cleared by the end of the day, you can see how poorly people parked.”

Manners are sometimes lacking in the parking lot—something Yanchak finds very frustrating.

“I think it’s incredibly irritating when people don’t let you through,” she said. “I also think it’s so annoying how long it takes people to get out of the parking lot—I might as well ride the bus.”

At this time of year, a lot of juniors are working on getting their driver’s licenses. Some plan to continue riding the bus, while others plan on getting a parking pass.

“When I get my license, I plan on driving to school, so I don’t have to take the bus,” said junior Carolyn Mole. “I do, however, think the parking lot is very high risk for accidents because it’s so many new drivers altogether.”

This week, with the return to full-time in-person instruction, the parking lot has been especially crowded. Along with these fewer available parking spots, it has also taken much longer for students to exit the campus.

With this in mind, senior Katie Maragoini offered perhaps the most important piece of advice:

“You usually let one car in front of you out,” she said. “That is probably the biggest unspoken rule and everyone does it.”