From 2005 to 2012, “Cash Cab” was a popular daytime game show.
Four years after its demise, the Ole Miss Alumni Association is reinventing the concept with its new “Class Cab” here on campus.
“Ideally it is a spinoff of ‘Cash Cab,’ which is a TV show where people hop in an unassuming cab, and then it lights up and they are driven to their destination, winning prizes along the way,” Sunny Eicholtz, coordinator of student engagement programs, said. “Class Cab is similar in concept. You hop in, and they give you a ride to class, and you are asked Ole Miss trivia along the way. For each tier of questions you complete, you win a prize.”
Prizes include a variety of Ole Miss related items, ranging anywhere from a pen to something as exclusive as a signed football.
The cab has already made its maiden voyage on campus this semester, decked in various red and blue party decorations, with videos currently available for viewing on the association’s various social media platforms.
“We kind of use it as a way to promote different events in Student Alumni Council,” Eicholtz said. “Like I said, it’s new, so we just started it to help promote Bridging the Gap, which was our alumni panel here in October. Eventually it will just be a fun thing to do on campus.”
Each ride is supported by a variety of sponsors, the biggest of which is the Student Alumni Council, providing a perfect outlet to get the word out regarding various council events.
Before each trip, the Alumni Association promotes the opportunity to ride on the cab through social media. As of right now, there is no specific time or schedule that the cab runs on, but each trip will be announced in advance via social media. However, as the tradition carries on, this may not continue to be the case.
“Once it becomes a thing and everybody knows what it is, that may change,” Eicholtz said. “It may be just one or two tweets and then just kind of a surprise, like the real ‘Cash Cab.’”
Eichholtz sees the concept eventually becoming a staple on campus.
“This is a new position for me as coordinator of student engagement, so I am just hoping to raise awareness for the Alumni Association here on campus,” Eicholtz said. “What better way to do that than by having a bright blue golf cart driving around, picking up students and helping them get to class? It’s just kind of a convenience thing and a fun way to spread some alumni cheer.”
Students around campus have spoken favorably of this new activity on campus and hope to ride the Class Cab soon.
“It seems like a really fun idea,” Stuart Woods, a senior mechanical engineering student, said. “I would certainly look forward to the opportunity of playing the game and not having to walk across campus.”
