Every graduate student at NIU should be outraged at the latest parking proposal reported in the February 9th issue of the Northern Star.

The latest proposal to take away what little parking is issued to graduate students will not solve any of the parking problems on campus but, once again, will add to the burdens of graduate studies at NIU.

Not only do the graduate students receive the lowest stipends of all Illinois universities with doctorate level studies, but we also have lost our tax exemption. Now we are expected to perform many of the duties of faculty while being forced to battle freshmen for parking spaces.

The University of Illinois at Champaign does not allow freshmen to have cars on campus, while the Chicago campus has a very nice parking garage to help solve its parking problems.

Though I do not know the percentage of freshmen at NIU that have cars, some help in parking would come about from giving graduate students, followed by seniors, juniors and then sophomores, priority over available parking spaces.

If education is a priority at Northern Illinois University, would it not be a better investment to help the graduate students find parking in order to teach their labs and work on research than to spend money on $20,000 statues and a losing football program?

Wouldn’t that make more sense than spending a fortune to install new lights at the stadium so the football team can have them for its one night game per year?

Greg Webster

graduate

chemistry