Irvington students have been flocking to the new Tpumps location on Blacow Rd. ever since it first opened, causing the parking lot to become chaotic during all hours of the day. Tpumps, a popular milk tea (also known as “boba”) store opened a franchise location near Irvington, providing another place for students to get food during lunch and after school. Tpumps offers cheap drinks and is a fresh contrast to snack food from 7-11 or pizza from Bronco Billy’s, thus driving the Irvington fanbase. While Tpumps is valued in the greater Fremont community, it has had a negative impact on Irvington, turning each day into a race.

Students already struggle to find parking in the morning, and leaving the parking lot after school has become a race. Similarly, lunch has become just as chaotic, with the “Race to Tpumps” becoming a popular “Irvington Parking Lot Olympics” event. 

Students have gone far as to establish referees to moderate the rules, which include things like not cutting one another off in Tpumps’ rather small parking lot. Additionally, there is a school-wide scoreboard with points awarded to the car that is first out of the parking lot each day, driving each student further to beat their peers out of the Irvington lot. Teams have begun to form, with different groups of friends switching off who gets to park their car near the parking lot’s exit in order to stay on top of the race.

“I just want Tpumps everyday and I know my friends and I could walk, but going in a car ensures we get back on time because there is always a line,” said Poppy Ing-Boba (12). “So now it isn’t just about beating other students out of the parking lot, it’s about beating the line at Tpumps too.”

In an effort to be the first out of the parking lot, students have been asking teachers to get out of class early or moving their cars closer to the front of the parking lot during passing periods, advisory, or even during class time.

“The kids have gone crazy! Just for Tpumps! They are lining up at the door before the bell rings, and it is terrible. I am disappointed,” Mr. T asserted.

As the issue becomes worse, the administration is trying to find new ways to decrease the chaos in the parking lot, hoping to prompt students to use class time efficiently and not run in the hallways. Similar to how the parking lot has become like NASCAR, the hallways have become a stampede.

“There is enough competition at Irvington,” said Principal Bob Ah. “We don’t need any more of that nonsense with the whole Parking Lot Olympics thing. We are looking for a way for students to get their food without almost running each other over.”