Free ride to Coventry a possibility

When the Student Union Executive Board first met months ago, one of their goals for the semester was to establish student transportation to Coventry, one of the most popular hangouts for JCU students.

Patrick McDermott, the Student Union vice president, is spearheading this project. He, as well as many other students, recognizes the dangers of students driving to and from Coventry.

“Because Coventry is growing in popularity, we felt it would be a good idea to create some sort of safe transportation for our students,” he said. “Overcrowded cars and students driving under the influence really make a strong case for this proposed service.”

According to the Core Alcohol and Drug survey from 2006, 26.7 percent of JCU students admitted to driving under the influence.  This is one of the main arguments the SU will use in convincing the administration to implement the plan.

Another piece of evidence the SU will use stems from a project done by JCU junior Colleen Cavanagh and a few other students in a public relations class.  Their campaign was called “Don’t be that girl, don’t be that guy.”

It focused on observing the behavior of students after exiting a local bar, asking them about how they planned on getting home and inquiring whether they thought some sort of shuttle service would be beneficial.

“The students really stressed that drunk driving or that [unsafe] Cabbie D rides occur too often,” said Cavanagh.  
The project concluded that a shuttle service would be very beneficial and utilized by many students, but must be closely regulated to avoid abuse of the service.

Safety concerns have been an issue while drafting the proposal.

“We have been talking about putting third party security on each van,” said McDermott. “We just need to look into the cost and feasibility a little more.”

One projected idea is that when students arrive on the shuttle, they give their JCU ID to the security officer.

The ID will be returned to them at the end of the trip unless an individual student becomes ill or combative.

In this case, their card would be handed over to Campus Safety Services and the student would be dealt with through the University disciplinary system.

The SU has also looked into “safe ride” programs at other Jesuit Universities.  According to McDermott, a number of Jesuit or Catholic universities such as Xavier, Loyola Chicago, LeMoyne and Creighton offer some variations of a safe ride program run by the school.

McDermott feels that providing these “safe ride” programs would also increase enrollment.

“I think that if John Carroll provides some of these services our competitors are offering, we might become more attractive to many potential students,” he said.

While the shuttle service would ultimately require the administration’s approval, JCU students seem to be in agreement that they want it to happen.

Jimmy Treon, a junior at JCU, said he thinks the shuttle would be a great idea.

“It’s just one more safeguard against drunk driving,” Treon said.  “Plus it would be a great service for students who could not otherwise get to Coventry on a Thursday night.”

Sophomore Pat Ahern said, “It provides that convenience for students who don’t have cars, but at the same time, may be an open invitation for excessive or underage drinking.”

Some students, like sophomore Chris Koller, feel strongly against JCU offering these sorts of services.

“I think if a kid decides to go out and drink off campus, it should be up to them to figure out how to get back,” said Koller.

“It’s not the administration’s problem.  Students should have a plan to get back before they even think about going out.”

The debate over whether this service would be a promotion of safety or a promotion of drinking is extensive, considering the Jesuit values of JCU.

McDermott acknowledges that providing students with transportation to the bars may be problematic for the administration, but he said the benefits outweigh these problems.

McDermott said he is not sure of any set timeline for this project to be put in place, but hopes to gain more support and give a  final proposal to the administration soon.