Surveying for a new athletic field house began on October 29, much to the dismay of student drivers.

     “It’s not convenient for students, because that parking lot was a major parking spot for students. This is being done the same year the tardy policy has become stricter, which seems contradictory because it is now more of a hassle to find parking, and students are more likely to be late to class in the morning and after lunch,” said Tomer Sabo, a Tam junior.
     However, students may find the project worth the inconvenience when it is finished.
     “It’s going to be better. There’s going to be a team room, locker rooms on both sides, room for storage, working restrooms, and possibly also a whirlpool,” said principal Tom Drescher. “I’m excited to have the new field house available for next year. Tam deserves to have good, if not great, facilities to be competitive.”
     The construction is supposed to be finished in the spring of 2009, or by the summer of 2009 at the latest. Until then, students remain tense about tight parking and its effects on tardiness to class.
     Junior Sarah Buder is frustrated at the limited options. “I think it’s stupid that we are getting in trouble for parking in illegal spots when the school doesn’t offer us any legal spots to park, because there is very limited parking along the side of Tam, and when the field parking lot is taken away, it makes it even worse. It is unfair.”
     On November 13, student drivers found sheets on the windshields of their cars from the Mill Valley Police Department summarizing strict rules for parking on the streets surrounding the back parking lot. These guidelines tighten the already limited parking spaces.
     While the administration cannot offer any alternatives to parking in the immediate future, assistant principal Corbett Elsen said there is a chance that when the old field house is torn down, that space could be used for additional parking. “It is still yet to be determined,” said Elsen. “The construction has to happen, and there has to be construction at the same time. Our goal is to try to minimize the disruption to students and staff and athletics and activities as much as possible.”

This article originally appeared in the December 2008 issue.