By Shelby Fischer
Contributing Writer
On the surface, it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense. Only freshmen on North Central College’s campus have to park in the remote lot a mile away at the All Saints Catholic Academy, 1155 Aurora Ave. It’s a long walk, especially at night.
The walk to the remote lot goes through downtown Naperville with its outdoor lights and foot traffic. But the next mile is more deserted, and there are no streetlights or sidewalks.
Freshman Alicia Casacchia, who uses the lot, says that most students who park there use the college’s free shuttle system.
“It’s doable but it’s not convenient,” she adds.
Emanuel Pavlopoulos, assistant director for parking and transportation, said the school is concerned about safety in the remote lot. North Central’s free shuttle is open to all students, but “we prioritize remote lot passengers,” Pavlopoulos said. The lot also has lights activated by motion detectors to make the remote lot safer and more comfortable for students.
That is little comfort to Abby Diaz, a freshman. “Either you’re rushing to get to it, or you’re waiting around for it,” she says of the shuttle.
Still, there are also financial advantages to parking in the remote lot. A parking space costs $100 per year compared with $400 a year for a space on campus.
Pavlopoulos says the rationale for consigning freshman parking to the remote lot has to do with space —there isn’t enough on-campus parking for everyone who wants it. The remote lot adds 210 parking spaces.
“Many colleges of our size actually prohibit first year parking,” Pavlopoulos notes.
Another reason for the policy is that North Central College saves on-campus parking for upper-class students who may be student teaching or doing a practicum during the year. The shuttle’s schedule may not line up with the student’s work assignment, he said.
Christine Dunne, a junior at North Central, is happy about that. “I don’t think I would like being constrained to a shuttle,” she says.
Dunne is an elementary education major and has a practicum twice a week. “It would affect my practicum schedule especially if or when the shuttle is late.”
