Walsh Jesuit installed a fence and painted crosswalks over the summer to keep students safe and traffic more organized. The deans, principal, and security officer decided that pedestrian controls were needed to prevent further accidents.

Carmie Alberty, 2018 WJ graduate and Miami U freshman, provided one of the most significant reasons why the crosswalks and fence were put up. In her senior year, Carmie was crossing to the parking lot from school when a parent driving to the pick-up line hit her.

“I was crossing with my sister and was tapped by the car. I fell to the ground and got bruises on my knees and twisted my ankle… It was a tap, but it was enough for me to fall. It’s not like she was driving fast because it was in the parking lot,” explained Carmie. She thinks that having the crosswalks will be safer and that they are definitely needed.

Dean of Students Miss Julie Hudec said about the innovations, “We want to make sure students are crossing at designated crosswalks so we can make sure students get to their cars safely.” She hopes that having marked walkways will help make it clear where pedestrians cross so no other accidents happen. Miss Hudec playfully noted, “The orange plastic fence will be replaced with a much prettier fence.”

Some students, like senior Lauren Carr, do not see a particular need for the crosswalks and fence. Lauren said, “It was never a concern of mine last year, but I guess I feel safer when crossing to the parking lot now.”

A handful of students continue to ignore the crosswalks and the openings in the fence. Those students get detentions or other consequences if they are observed by an administrator. Lauren stated, “The only negative of the fence is that some kids are careless and just step over it, which totally defeats the purpose of it in the first place.”

Junior Nathan Lahovich argued that the new additions were a complete waste of money and an inconvenience. He said, “I hate the crosswalks and fence so much. It takes so much more time to get to your car, and [the fence] looks so bad… They should get rid of it. If they are going to keep it, at least make it look nice.”

Grace Dashner, a sophomore, shared similar thoughts. She stated, “I feel like it’s a smart idea, but I also feel that the fence is not necessary. Students get away with stepping over the fence all the time.”

Mr. Bob Chase, WJ’s security guard, believed the renovations would be a smart idea, explaining that he was the one that designed them. He laughed and assured this reporter, “We are changing the ugly orange fence to a steel fence. It will be absolutely beautiful!”

Mr. Chase is very happy with the changes and feels relief that everyone is okay and WJ continues to care about safety for the community. He remarked, “The problem before was that nobody had the right of way, and that is why there were accidents.”