By CHLOE GRUSING
Editorial Editor
As a Northwestern student, I want the campus to improve everyday, one step at a time. My reason being I pay to attend school here and would like to know my money is going towards something important.
Throughout my time here, I have noticed a few things that could be looked at with greater detail. Other students and staff have mentioned how the parking at this university raises concerns.
I decided to write this week over the parking on campus and what we as students can expect in the parking lots. I feel it is important to remain educated and up to date with the “little things” to better campus life for everyone on campus.
Another reason I feel compelled to draw attention to parking on campus is due to the Church of Christ Bible Chair Church across the street from Carter Hall. A few weeks ago there was a sign that stated “no parking”, and students were confused on where to park their car for class.
I talked to Chief of Campus Police, Dennis Kilmer, regarding safety concerns due to parking available to students and staff. The biggest parking violation Chief Kilmer tickets is students and staff members parking in the Wellness Center parking lot. He mentions the parking lot is closed to the university from 6 a.m. through 5 p.m.
Other than that, the compact car parking near Carter Hall does not allow any non-compact vehicle to park in the lot. This has been an issue I have personally encountered so I knew this was an issue on campus.
The parking lot also does not hold many spaces, leaving students to park across the street on the Bible Chair property.
There has been one incident of a student parking illegally in the BC parking, where campus and Alva police were involved. Chief Kilmer says the issue was resolved quickly and is no longer a concern.
The Bible Chair Church has not directly contacted Kilmer or the NWOSU police services but Chief Kilmer advises people to respect the Bible Chair and follow signs posted.
To gain full clarity on the Bible Chair parking situation, I interviewed the minister Steve Hamm. I asked him for comment on the parking sign situation where students thought the parking lot was closed to the public. Hamm clarified the sign was just for one spot, so the plumber coming that day could easily access the water system. The parking debacle was nothing more than a misunderstanding. Hamm said,
“Students are welcome to use the church parking lot.”
The issue that arises is when students are not following signs posted, taking up multiple places or causing attendees disruption.
Bentley Tomberlin, senior at Northwestern and Bible Church attendee, said students have caused disturbances in the Wednesday night church services.
“It’s difficult for the older people to get in and out of the church.”
Wednesday night classes and church occur at the same time, which causes more cars to be in the parking lot than a normal Sunday service. Students sometimes park in the spaces at the church, close to the door, where older church goers might need to park for accessibility.
This is an issue of just respecting each other’s spaces and practicing consideration. I feel these issues could be avoided if people took consideration of their counterparts.
As a person that is able bodied, park a space or two down for the older folks that may have trouble moving around.
Beyond the concern for the elderly attendees, Tomberlin is worried there could be an accident in the parking lot. Students should be aware of their surroundings and make sure to park in the lines, as to not box anyone in.
Hamm and Tomberlin asked for students to be respectful of the signs posted in each lot. Hamm said students have blocked doors and areas that need to be accessed through the day.
Students should make sure to check the places they park, and respect the number of spaces they are taking up.
Again, the church has no issue with students using their lot, just that respect is being practiced. When driving long trucks or trailers, park in an appropriate area.
If a no parking sign is posted, the church urges people to not park there. Members of the church love the community and college, they just ask for students to obey the rules of their lot.
This begs a bigger question, is there adequate parking on campus? Do the current parking areas suffice for the current student body?
Everyday students are affected by parking, and for commuting students, this is a big concern. If one day the Bible Chair needs their parking lot, where are students supposed to park? Should the campus add another lot?
I brought these concerns back to Chief Kilmer and he assured me the parking on campus is sufficient. He said that parking violations are down from last year and the biggest violation is parking in the Wellness Center. The parking available for the students and staff is doing the job it’s supposed to do.
Chief Kilmer did not have any major concerns regarding the safety of students in the parking lots. There have been some fender benders this year, but it hasn’t been anything out of the ordinary.
The greater message at hand is that students need to be respectful and practice safe driving. Students have been driving better this year compared to last, with a smaller amount of tickets written.
I can only urge the student body to be respectful of the Bible Chair’s parking lot and to park appropriately. Make sure to practice caution when backing in and out of a space to prevent any more minor accidents from occuring.
It is important that we treat the campus and people helping the student body with gratitude. Saying please and thank you and respecting boundaries is the least us students can do. Practice parking safely and make sure to read all signs before parking in a space.
