Some lucky students may soon find a parking spot much closer to home.In response to a flurry of complaints, mostly from sophomores in East and Castle Quads, that the assigned Charles River Lot (formerly J-Lot) was too far from their dorms, the Department of Public Safety will lottery off 35 spots in the East Quad Lot (formerly D-Lot).

"We're trying to make the best of a difficult situation," East Quad Senator Jessica Blumberg '09 said. "There is just not enough parking space on campus for everybody, [so] something is better than nothing."

Due to the construction of the Carl J. Shapiro Science Center, dozens of parking spots for faculty and staff adjacent to the science complex have been set. The administration moved faculty and staff to the lot behind East Quad, which used to be for student parking.

Blumberg said the parking spaces in the East Quad Lot will be distributed via lottery Dec. 12 to students living in North Quad, East Quad and the Castle who are at least in their sophomore year.

Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan said the lottery is only open to those students who currently have a car that is

registered with the University Parking Office.

For students who have long complained about long walks between their dorms and their parking spots, the possibility of obtaining closer parking is good news.

Brian Stotter '09, who parks in the Charles River Lot and lives in Castle Quad, said he was pleased and looks forward to entering the lottery.

Stotter said that because his car is not near his dorm, he usually waits until the weekend to run errands off campus. Students are allowed to park in East Quad Lot on the weekends when faculty and staff are not present.

If Stotter were to obtain a spot in East Quad Lot during the entire week, he said "it would be much more convenient."

Sarah Basch '09, who told the Justice in September that the parking situation is "an annoyance," said a lottery for spots is not a fair method.

"It's about time," Basch said of the lottery. "However, they're doing it wrong."

Basch said students who have off-campus jobs or need to make frequent trips off campus for medical reasons should have priority. "It should not be random," she said.

But Blumberg said the lottery is the "fairest way to resolve [the parking problem]".

Myka Held '09 disagreed.

"It is too little and too late," Held said of the 35 spots being made available.

She said she is considering leaving her car at home next semester, assuming she is still assigned to park in Charles River Lot, which, Held said, is "pretty much off campus."

Callahan said students can enroll from Nov. 27 to Dec. 5 for the lottery. Blumberg said residents will soon receive an e-mail explaining the details of the lottery, which will be held in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.