Change in bike rack location angers students

When students arrived on campus on the morning of Oct. 10, they were greeted with the sight of the familiar bike rack fixed in front of the Large Gym instead of under the overhang near the Small Gym.

The administration said the rack was moved for safety reasons, but many students are upset at this new location because their bikes is now be out in the rain and sun.

Over the previous weekend, the bike rack, which is used by at least 25 students a day, was moved from its original spot to a new location.

Assistant principal Kevin Mount said the rack was moved because students were riding up the hallway, causing a dangerous situation. In addition, the bike rack itself also took up too much space in the hallway, Mount said.

Another benefit, he said, is that when the bike rack was against the side of the Small Gym, only one side was usable. The school also wanted to put the bike rack out front to landscape the area under the overhang.

“There will be even more places on the rack to lock bikes,” Mount said. “This way, less students will lock their bikes in places other than the designated areas.”

According to Mount, there was much deliberation over where the rack would go.

“We finally decided upon the front of the school, since the bike rack would fit in well in the parking lot,” he said.

However, despite these supposed benefits, student bikers seem generally opposed to the move.

“I think it’s inconvenient, because when it rains, our bikes will get really wet,” sophomore Sanjay Kaliyur said.

The old bike rack location was especially convenient, according to student bikers, because the overhang would effectively shield the bikes from any rain.

During the rainy season, Mount said one of the bike racks could be moved back under the overhang to shelter the bikes.

However, students aren’t completely on board with the idea.

“There’s so many people who have to bike to school [on rainy days], so one bike rack’s not going to cut it,” Kaliyur said.

Junior Benedict Chiu thinks the rack should be moved back to its old spot permanently.

“The old location [worked]. A lot of people were satisfied with that,” Chiu said.