The Xavierite staff is comprised of commuters and residents, drivers and walkers (not the zombie). When it comes to cars on campus, we all seem to have different opinions, but we can all agree on one thing for the most part: parking on campus is a problem. All of our complaints and concerns about cars can be boiled down to two basic categories: frustration and danger.
Parking on campus can be frustrating. The spaces close to the Warde Academic Center fill up quickly, and if you aren’t there early enough, you may have to spend a good amount of time hunting for a good spot.
Many times, students will spend a good part of an hour trying to find a convenient parking space. When they realize that they can’t find one, they resign themselves to parking quite a distance away, sometimes several blocks from campus.
This is frustrating for several reasons. By the time you have parked over by the Pulaski Center and walked to the Warde, it is almost time for class to end. What a waste of time!
Also, while walking a distance to get to class may be ok for students now, what happens when it starts snowing or at least getting really cold? Better pack your snow boots and get ready for a long, cold walk. On top of that, parking permits are not exactly cheap, and some of us feel that if you are paying for a parking permit, you should be able to actually find a parking space that isn’t almost as far away from campus as your house.
Even those of us who do not have to worry about parking still have to worry about people trying to find parking spaces. It can be difficult (and sometimes dangerous) to try to get to classes, especially in the Graham School or Driehaus Center, with people zooming around trying to get “the best parking space”. A few of the pedestrian members of the staff have almost been hit by cars that have chosen to ignore stop signs, crosswalks and red lights.
This is not the only danger to parking at SXU. Because of the size of some of the parking spaces and the reckless driving of some more desperate spot-seekers, there have been several instances of unreported damage to cars that are already parked in the lots. While no one is hurt in these incidents, it is still unfortunate for students who will have to pay for car repairs along with tuition, bills, textbooks, and parking passes.
Overall, the Xavierite staff is not a fan of the parking situation here at Saint Xavier. Between not being able to find a space and not being able to safely cross the crosswalk, we find the whole ordeal frustrating and dangerous. While it is not the end-all-be-all, it is rather unpleasant, and while the parking myth may have been deemed debunked, we would like to ask the guys from Mythbusters for their personal opinion before we believe that there is no problem with parking.
The Xavierite Staff
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