The new shuttle system that will cater to CCSU students between Thursday and Saturday nights is an initiative that Central has needed for quite some time. CCSU has become known as a commuter school even with thousands of students who live in the residential halls.
Once Thursday comes and the commuters vacate until Monday, it leaves many residents feeling their options for entertainment are limited and as a result some end up going home for the weekend. The shuttle offers an opportunity for students to venture out, have fun and return later without worry of RA’s on duty or New Britain residents being disrupted by house parties.
Although a good idea, a trial run of the shuttle scheduled so close to finals time may be a mistake. Students might be more inclined to stay in and study for upcoming tests rather than hitch a ride to Hartford or the Berlin Turnpike for a night out with friends.
Should this be the case, the first run of the shuttle could come across as a program that students have overlooked and might even seem like a failed project even though the idea is actually well thought out and has the potential to drastically increase student life on the weekends.
The shuttle will be running from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. which is a reasonable time for students who want to catch a movie or have dinner outside of memorial. It may however, serve students who head out to the bars in Hartford better if the shuttle ran until at least 1:30 a.m. Most bars have last call at around 1 so that would give students ample time to make it back to the bus even with a few drinks in their system. The last thing you want is students with no way home to be stranded in Hartford or Newington in the wee hours of the morning.
That being said, the shuttle also offers a practical solution for students who want to drink while they’re out and relieves them of the duty of finding a designated driver. Many other schools have shuttle systems set up so that students can go out and drink without the temptation of getting behind the wheel in order to get home.
It’s about time that Central offer a safe solution for students to get around and that is something that should be greatly appreciated by the student body. As a student initiated program, students both on campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods should utilize this as much as possible. The shuttle is here solely for the benefit of the students which should not be overlooked or taken for granted. This program has gone through several processes in order to fit the needs of CCSU students as best as possible and will only last as long as it is being used.
The school has heard the complaints of the students and has endorsed a solution. It is now up to the students to take advantage of such a promising opportunity and not let this slip by the wayside.