College isn’t the cheapest of ways to spend four years of your life.

Between tuition, housing, food, books and an ever-growing list of school supplies, the cost of going to a private college like Saint Louis University can be quite a cross to bear.

Some students are lucky enough to have their own cars on campus to use at their disposal, and, as a service to its students, SLU offers parking for those cars at a cost.

When contrasted with the rate of many parking lots in the city, as well as metered parking, a SLU parking lot offers a fair price, which includes amenities not often found at other parking lots, or even other universities.

Department of Public Safety and Security Services patrol, limited access and well-painted lines are just a few of these ‘perks’ of the parking lots, for which students should be very thankful.

However, returning students have come back to find increased parking rates. I personally only can afford a general parking permit, which comes with a $25 price hike.

Upon realizing that this rate has been increased, my friends and I tried to decipher the hidden reason for the rise in rates.

Initially, I felt that the price was fair and warranted, as we are in a recession and many are struggling to keep up with inflation. I mean, how many times have you frivolously spent 25 dollars?

When everything is relative, it’s not that much money.

However, my mind has recently been changed.

When I went in to Parking and Cards Services to get my fall parking pass, I was handed a sealed plastic bag with my parking pass and what looked like a matchbook. Much to my surprise, the parking pass was slightly dissimilar from my parking pass from last year.

This new pass wasn’t made of paper. Instead, it seemed to be thick plastic on which a beautiful picture of the clock tower was printed.

The item that I thought was a matchbook was actually a map of campus, complete with a list of parking violations and guidelines to safe parking protocol. The map was folded up into itself and encased in a neat little package. Apparently a simple black and white map wasn’t good enough. Ah-ha! So that’s where my $25 went.

Everyone on our campus sees where money is wasted and, therefore, can be saved, but this is a new low for the SLU “powers that be.”

OK, I can understand that maybe costs have gone up. Maybe the sealant used on the parking lots costs more now because oil price have gone up.

The problem that I have with this rationale is that if costs have gone up, then why are new things still being bought? Why have I seen DPSSS officers on Segways? Why do we have hammocks in the Quad and dorms that catch on fire? Is this University really setting a good example for the student body?

We as students continue to pay more, yet receive the same level of services. We love this school and don’t want to leave the Jesuit traditions and values which are instilled in us, but there is a point at which we must realize that we are being taken advantage of, considering the tuition we are already paying.

We pay for amenities which are standard at many schools locally and across the country, and yet it seems we pay for a brand name and not a simple parking pass.

One would hope that SLU will put more effort into developing and growing in a way that benefits the student body, instead of simply reaping the benefits.

Brandon Myers is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.