by Maurice Ware ‘16
At the start of the school year, students attempting to access campus from Carroll Avenue were surprised to find security personnel barring their entrance to the mall. For years, the administration has been attempting to prevent students from being dropped off on Carroll Ave. and West 30th St. to no avail.
In response to both parents and students ignoring the signs, handbook policies, and verbal warnings from security guards, a new policy has been established forbidding “access to campus via the Carroll Avenue mall entrance on school days between the hours of 7:00 AM – 8:15 AM and 2:30 PM –3:30 PM.”
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“I was forced to walk from my car on Bridge Avenue to the doors on the Quad in a raining downpour on the first week of school. So no, I am not happy.”
– Chas Zwissler ‘16
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In an email to the parents Principal Bradesca addressed these changes saying, “The reason for this request involves the safety of our students, your sons. The area in question is far too congested and has resulted in numerous “near misses” involving pedestrians and vehicles”. Although Mr. Franzinger addressed the new rules during orientation, he plainly stated that he would not take any questions about it. While this fully prohibits student traffic, teachers and staff remain free to enter and exit as they please, a detail that has not gone unnoticed among the student body at large.
The new policy has proven to be successful in slowing the amount of traffic on Carroll and West 30th, though there remains some difficulty in the eyes of the student body approaching from this side of campus. When asked about the new policy students displayed an array of reactions varying from mildly annoyed to majorly inconvenienced.
Jermaine Leonard ‘18, a regular patron of the Carroll Ave. entrance, was commented, “As if morning traffic is not unwelcoming enough, I have to come to school only to be inconvenienced by having to walk around the main building to get to Loyola.”
He continued to express the lack of consideration for students who park on the streets such as Bridge or Jay. When asked about the Carroll Ave. environment during these times, Connor McSween ’16 states “I have always felt safe on Carroll Ave. because I know how to look both ways before I cross the street”. Another affected student, Chas Zwissler ‘16, remarked, “I was forced to walk from my car on Bridge Avenue to the doors on the Quad in a raining downpour on the first week of school. So no, I am not happy.”
It seems that the administration has been sticking to the new policy and to fairly successful results. It shall be interesting to see whether an adaptation to the policy will emerge as traffic slows down and the patience of commuting students thins.
