The Students for a Safe Ride committee received 35 applications for its newly formed advisory council this past week. The committee is responsible for the return of a free busing program similar to the Rebel Ride program in the upcoming fall semester.
ASB President Davis Rogers has been working to bring a safe ride program back to campus.
“Over the past year and a half we’ve been building a Safe Ride committee following the termination of the previous Rebel Ride program,” Rogers said. “The purpose of the committee is to find avenues in which to begin a new Safe Ride program. Students For a Safe Ride Council will be the ones advertising, funding and revamping the safe-ride program, placing the power of the program back into the hands of the students.”
According to Rogers, he has already heard from companies that want to provide the buses for Safe Ride.
“Two companies, whose names I cannot list, in the local area have already reached out to us by saying that they’re interested in giving bids to become a part of the program and providing the buses needed for the program,” Rogers said.
Rogers couldn’t give specific numbers, but he knows what kind of budget the university needs to shoot for.
“I can say in years past, Rebel Ride was a program that involved about $75,000 to run and maintain operation,” Rogers said.
Rogers stressed that student involvement is the key to the future success of this new program.
“We’re trying to approach the application and interview processes differently than we did with other programs,” Rogers said. “This isn’t a program meant to be a resume builder. This program won’t work without fully dedicated and skilled individuals who want to make this happen. We need students capable of answering the calls that the program needs to run. Specifically students who are adept at fundraising and advertising.”
Rogers wants to start with the process of choosing the company to provide the buses.
“The following week after that the first meeting will take place,” Rogers said. “We look forward to having that meeting, and hopefully within the semester, we will be meeting with the companies who have given bids to make progress on the Students For a Safe Ride program.”
Carly Eason, director of the Student Activities Association and a member of an advisory council to the Students For a Safe Ride program, also stressed student involvement.
“By restarting this organization we have made a proactive step toward providing a safe ride option for Ole Miss students,” Eason said. “The students who are selected will influence everything about the program. Members of this student organization will be charged with advertising and fundraising to insure students have a safe ride.”
Rogers expressed that Safe Ride will be similar to Rebel Ride but under a new name. The plans will install the same running schedule that Rebel Ride operated on as of last year, with buses running Thursday through Saturday, according to Rogers. His goal is to have two to three buses running on an average weekend and four to five buses for home football games weekends in the fall or special-events weekends in the spring.
“Along with our decisions in fundraising and assembling the students to be a part of this process, we’ve also reached out to students to find the best routes for the buses to take,” Rogers said. “The new routes would possibly include places like Whirlpool and others around the area.”
Sophomore history major Robert Bobo is in support of the effort to bring a safe ride back to Ole Miss.
“I feel like it’s a great opportunity for the university to do some good,” Bobo said. “The number-one priority we should have is looking out for the safety of our students, and with a free busing program running from campus to the Square back in place, I can’t help but think that it will have to discourage students from driving under the influence.”
Rogers said he feels that the reinstatement of a busing program is vital to the university.
“The emphasis is on the students now,” Rogers said. “It’s more than apparent that a Safe Ride program is something that all the students would look forward to again, but it’s in the students’ hands to make that a reality. I hope that we can gather support over the year and fill our goal of creating a sustainable Safe Ride program for The University of Mississippi.”
— Will Crockett
jwcrocke@go.olemiss.edu
