As a student at NSU, I have often struggled with finding a place to park on campus. After several failed attempts to score a space in the Kyser parking lot, I finally decided to take the advice of the wonderful students and faculty on the Student Concerns page and try parking at Prather.

On this particular day, my first class was at 11 a.m., so I made sure to get to Prather by 10 a.m. I dressed in workout clothes in order to look like someone who actually walks on a regular basis. As I began my trek to Kyser, I was immediately overcome by the humidity, and it finally made sense why our mascot is a demon.

The best part of my journey was definitely seeing parts of campus that I had never seen before, like the WRAC. I briefly contemplated going inside but decided that my journey to and from Prather everyday would be sufficient enough for exercise.

About halfway to Kyser, I encountered the infamous campus skunk. We stared at each other for a minute, and I could see the confusion in his eyes as he tried to figure out why I was crying.

An hour later, I finally made it to my class on the fourth floor of Kyser. Despite walking in late, I could see the look of understanding in the teacher’s eyes as he watched me walk to my seat as I tried to conceal my heavy breathing.

In conclusion, I now understand why everyone always recommends parking at Prather. Although not the fastest route to class, it offers a chance to see the campus in a new light. If nothing else came from this, I’m glad to have made a new friend in the campus skunk.