Late-night visits to Hodges Library often result in more than an increase in knowledge for commuters.
"I know a lot of people that have gotten ticketed or had their car towed when studying at Hodges late at night," stated Samantha Johnson, a commuter and junior in microbiology.
The Commons, located on the second floor of Hodges Library, is open 24 hours a day for UT students and affiliates. However, the only doors that remain open to access the Commons after midnight are those at the Hodges' main entrance on Melrose Avenue. While Melrose Avenue is lined with convenient parking places, these spots may only be utilized for 30 minutes at a time, regardless of the time of day or day of the week, according to signs along the street's sidewalks. The nearest parking lot is Staff Lot 12, which is typically reserved for staff members who obtain parking permits for that lot.
According to the University of Tennessee Police Department Special Operations Captain, Keith Lambert, students are allowed to park in Staff Lot 12 between 5 p.m. and 3 a.m. He also stated that the staff members pay monthly fees to park in staff lots and typically expect the parking spaces therein to be clear of students' cars before they arrive in the morning.
"Parking is definitely a challenge, and parking at the library at night is often a worst-case scenario because there aren't any terribly convenient commuter lots," stated Lambert.
At the core of concerns about parking is the issue of campus safety.
"I've gotten a few tickets when working on homework late at night, but I would rather forfeit $24 than risk walking across campus alone in the dark when I get off work," stated Johnson.
UT Police are also concerned with students' well being, stated Lambert.
"We definitely advise students to take advantage of the T if they park in commuter lots and avoid walking through unlit areas on and around campus," Lambert stated.
The T is a shuttle service provided free-of-charge for UT students, which makes stops throughout the main campus, the Ag campus and the Fort Sanders area, according to a Parking and Transit Services brochure.
Johnson stated that she has previously tried parking in a commuter lot and calling the T, only to end up walking to Hodges on her own after waiting for nearly a half hour to be picked up.
In recognition of the delays that may occur with the T, Lambert stated, "Individual students are more than welcome to call UTPD for a ride. We will send an officer to take students to and from their cars or dorms."
Both Lambert and Johnson stated that they believe that most students are aware of the parking regulations on campus lots, but they still choose to leave their cars in illegal spots.
"Students know they can get tickets for parking illegally, but for a lot of us the security of knowing that we are near our cars and the things we keep in them outweighs the risk of having a ticket when we're pulling the occasional all-nighter," stated Johnson.
Students are offered a break from evening parking regulations for the time being, however. "We ask officers not to ticket around Hodges Library at night when finals are going on," stated Lambert.