The Xavier parking lot is known for its quick-pace dash beginning at 2:35 p.m. every day for girls to get to their cars. This has been a beloved part of the Xavier tradition for years.
Girls of all ages, from upperclasswomen drivers to underclasswomen carpools, experience the XCP parking lot first-hand.
“I’ve carpooled every year since freshman year,” says Hannah Vu ‘27.
Vu describes how she has become close friends with those in her carpools over the years. Because Xavier students come from across Arizona, from the far West Valley to North Scottsdale and beyond, carpooling is a common way for students to get to school.
“The parking lot traffic sometimes gets a bit chaotic but I don’t mind it. I think it’s fun getting to see all your friends one last time before the day ends,” says Vu.
Recently, however, there have been some updates to the rules surrounding the parking lot.
A new rule has been added to the Xavier campus: Girls are now no longer able to visit their cars during the school day.
Dean Denise Macrina first made the declaration during morning announcements without much explanation. Later, she explained that a student went to her car for lunch, and then fell asleep.
The student was late for her sixth period class. Maintenance staff members were tasked with finding her, and then spent nearly an hour searching until they found her in the lot.
The student was not reprimanded, but for student safety XCP students are now no longer able to visit their cars during the day without passes from teachers or office staff.
Another incident arose a week prior to this incident. A dust storm had ripped through Phoenix, and by extension, the Xavier campus. Many trees across the city had been nearly torn out of the ground. This included one of the trees at Xavier.
A tree near the XCP sports buses by the 19-21 parking spots had become unstable due to the storm. Xavier maintenance staff had asked the girls parking in that row to move their vehicles to ensure the tree wouldn’t fall on top of their cars.
“A bunch of people from our row were just called out of class to come move our cars. Apparently a tree seemed like it was going to fall,” Mikayla Patterson ‘26 remarked.
“I was a little concerned at first”, said Patterson, “but it seemed like the staff had everything handled. Not too long after I think they removed the tree as a whole.”
For many students, the parking lot is where the school day starts and ends, with blasting music and friends waving across rows of cars. Whether it be the subject of new rules, races against the clock or falling debris, the XCP parking lot is a true staple of Xavier student culture.
