In recent years, Chicago Public Schools and Friends of Whitney Young has invested significant money in modernizing Whitney Young’s facilities. The most noticeable improvement has been the Michelle Obama sports complex, which sits across from the street from the main building. There have also been smaller improvements such as the restroom renovations which updated the restrooms to be more inclusive and environmentally friendly. Most recently, the windows are being replaced to further the school’s commitment to environmental friendliness. These updates all improve the quality of life for students and show a willingness by the school to invest in their community.
That being said, I humbly propose a suggestion for what should be the school’s next self-improvement project: the parking lot.
The Whitney Young parking lots have multiple potholes, bumps, cracks, and uneven surfaces that plague student drivers, parents, and teachers alike. Taro Okamura, a senior at Whitney Young, said that “There’s a pothole as soon as you enter the parking lot and it’s massive”. Potholes cause damage to cars and are a safety hazard to anyone on a bike. Drivers in America spend around $3 billion a year fixing damages caused by potholes. Damage from a pothole may not be immediately visible and the effects of the damage may only be noticeable long after the damage has been done. Given all the road work that was done over the summer and fall on Jackson, it is hard to understand why there wasn’t any work done to the parking lots. When asked for a comment, assistant principal Mr. Swanson stated that the school has had the parking lot on the list of areas to improve on for over 4 years. The renovations are so costly that Chicago Public Schools requires Whitney Young to go through a bidding process for the contract to renovate. Help is on the way however, Mr. Swanson says that he hopes that construction will happen over spring or summer on the parking lot. He personally believes that “Whitney Young has the worst parking lot in all of CPS”.
It seems that this sentiment is shared with the Whitney Young community. When asked about the state of the school’s parking lots, Ronald Chen, a student driver, stated that “we should allocate our money towards a safer driving experience.” Well Ronald, looks like your wish has come true, although it may be too late for you to personally experience it. The first step to fixing the parking lot will be to patch the potholes, followed by a more permanent renovation of the parking lot.
The school remains committed to improving the well being of its students. This latest update on the parking lot shows that the school is not done bringing the Whitney Young community the best experience they can offer.
