If you spent last weekend in DeKalb, you probably noticed the heavy traffic that came to our area. T.I. and Ludacris certainly drew in a crowd. Waiting on I-88 for over an hour at the Annie Glidden turnoff may have seemed like an extreme for some, but at least those visiting NIU had a place to park once they arrived on campus.

People who visit this campus often have the luxury of using the parking lot adjacent to the Convocation Center. Even those who come to tailgate during football games can buy a permit to park on the lawn behind Huskie Stadium. So, if these visitors have leeway with their parking, why are students complaining?

Senior communicative disorders major Jonathan Stolarski recently started the Facebook group NIU Parking Resolution NOW! The group currently has 298 members, and that number argues against anyone who claims there isn’t a parking problem on campus.

“During the peak hours of the day or when it snows, we run out of parking,” Stalarski said. “It portrays the university [as unconcerned] about their students.”

Many students have faced the frustrating situation of finding their typical parking space filled when they return to their lot. Many students have probably faced annoying campus parking tickets too. When situations like those occur, the solution seems obvious — make more spots. That notion, however, is easier said than done.

Consider how much money students pay to park on campus. A permit to park in an orange lot, the lot that Grant and Stevenson residence halls use, costs $75. Compare that price to the parking fees at University of Illinois. Students there can pay up to $480 dollars for a 12 month parking pass. The rates at NIU suddenly make up for the difficulty in finding a spot on campus. Still, if students and faculty members can’t get to class on time, then something needs to be done.

More spaces are needed on campus, but without any revenue to pay for the construction of new parking garages or the purchase of new land, drivers can only quietly grumble when they lift an NIU parking ticket from their windshield.

The best solution NIU can implement is, unfortunately, to raise prices. The problem comes down to simple economics. Parking on this campus is a commodity because of availability. If parking were made a commodity by price, fewer cars may fill the lots. With extra revenue put forth by campus parkers, new facilities could be built to lower congestion.

NIU should be more considerate toward its own students than to those who only visit this school on a weekend, but the students need to understand that nothing ever comes without a price tag. The question is: How much are we willing to pay?