The shuttle service that was created to transport Seton Hill University (SHU) students from the main campus to the Performing Arts Center (PAC) and the Visual Arts Center (VAC) in downtown Greensburg is receiving much criticism in its first few months of operation.
By Cody Naylor
Contributor
The shuttle service that was created to transport Seton Hill University (SHU) students from the main campus to the Seton Hill University Performing Arts Center (PAC) and the Visual Arts Center (VAC) in downtown Greensburg is receiving much criticism in its first few months of operation.
The shuttle schedule, which is supposed to ensure that students enrolled in classes at PAC or VAC are able to get to meals or other classes at main campus on time, still has a few kinks to be worked out.
Sophomore Anthony Greendoner, is just one of many students who is experiencing schedule conflicts. “I have to leave one of my lessons at PAC early so that I will not be late for my Faith and Religion course,” said Greendoner.
Greendoner also stated that because the shuttle departure times meshed with this schedule. Anthony also stated that because the shuttles often do not depart in time for some of his classes at PAC he has needed to “walk down and back up the hill several times already this semester.”
Because the shuttles are on such a tight schedule, students who just barely miss the departures are, unfortunately, left behind. Keira Conley, a freshman, is one of these students. “One of my classes on Thursday lets out at the exact time a shuttle is scheduled to depart. The instructor is usually good about dismissing us a few minutes early in order to catch it, but sometimes we really need that class time to finish an assignment or a test and those of us in the class either have to wait for the next shuttle or walk back up the hill,” Conley candidly said.
Sophomore Elizabeth Cumming, a graphic design student, said that “The shuttle drivers are all very nice people,” and that she is sure that “If they weren’t on such a tight schedule they would stop and pick up everyone that needed a ride.”
Parking during the day is also problematic for students who have vehicles on campus and would like to drive to SHUPAC or SHUVAC. The small lot outside of PAC is usually filled with the vehicles belonging to the faculty and staff. The nearest parking lot, located in front of The Red Star, is a private lot reserved for customer parking only. VAC, which is primarily located in Studio 215, but also utilizes a few other buildings to hold some art classes, has similar parking issues. The crowded streets of Greensburg are also an inconvenient spot for students because most of the streets are metered during the day.
Plausible solutions include a revision of the shuttle schedule or the eventual construction of a parking lot somewhere downtown, however both of these take time and the latter would cost a significant sum of money that, in these uncertain economic times, would be hard to come by.
Unfortunately, SHU officials could not be reached before the printing of this article for comment. However, The Setonian will continue to monitor the state of the shuttle service and keep the student body informed as soon as we receive any news.