Well, it's that time of year again and no, I'm not talking about the beginning of school. I am talking about parking. For those of us students that have been here a while, we are all very familiar with the parking here at UTM. Every year, parking seems to cause confusion and complaints, so the Department of Public Safety has provided some information that might clear up any questions that you might have about parking.

The price for a parking sticker is $26.00 and lasts from August to August. Now, some might think that that is a lot of money to pay for a sticker that makes you park over by the football building, but believe me, this price is incredible compared to the prices at other schools. At UT Knoxville, parking stickers are $230.00 and they sell three stickers for every one space, so it is rare that you will ever find a place to park. Here at UTM, they sell a sticker for every space, so you are always guaranteed a space to park, it just might not be as close as you would like it to be.

The peak parking times are from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and during those times, it will be difficult to find a parking space right near your class, so it is a good idea to factor in a few minutes extra walking time before your class begins.

The Department of Public Safety strongly discourages non-commuter students from parking in commuter lots, since it is a very short walk from the dorm to the classrooms. Parking tickets are $10.00 and a late fee of $10.00 will be added on after 10 days, but to avoid getting a ticket at all, park in your designated area.

"Every year at the start of the fall semester parking is a real challenge. After a couple of weeks, parking seems to settle out and we request everyone's cooperation during this period," says Rick Hatler, Director of Public Safety.

For more information about UTM parking, contact the Department of Public Safety at 587-7777.

Erika Jacobsen is a senior Communications major from Knoxville.