Those who call the Hilltop home rarely go long without being asked for directions, from parents looking for their child’s dormitory to professionals late for a conference. As willing as students are to amiably oblige these requests for directions, why is their help, especially during special campus events, so necessary? Georgetown needs to increase the clarity and volume of signage on campus so that visitors can more easily find their way to major campus buildings and get a feel for the topography of the Hilltop without relying on help from its residents.

Thousands of visitors stream through campus each year, most of whom will seek out prominent landmarks. Right now, one of their only physical guides is a small map standing just inside the front gates. This situation is a recipe for lost and frustrated guests — a problem that becomes particularly evident during events like Parents’ Weekend, when many unfamiliar visitors seek out several destinations at the same time. While the paw-print paths laid out for Parents’ Weekend were undoubtedly helpful, they were all temporary, not to mention confusing. And at a school with such a small but dense campus, the need for signage is especially evident.

The university should add simple signs to the common paths on campus, increasing Georgetown’s navigability and minimizing the need for students to play the role of a GPS for visitors. The university has an interest in making the campus easy for others to use, and this would be a simple and effective change toward that end.