STRIPES budget up for debate in MSA Senate
STRIPES hopes to cut down on wait times with an increase in cars.
Published March 16, 2010
STRIPES is attempting to increase its funding in order to add more days and cars to its hours of service.
STRIPES is a Missouri Students Association program that offers rides home for those who do not have cars or are incapable of driving themselves home for any reason. The program was founded in 2001 to provide free, safe and confidential rides home, according to the STRIPES Web site.
According to a news release, the busiest time for STRIPES, and thus the longest wait time for volunteers, is around the time the bars close.
The increase in cars is in response to an approximately 250 percent greater demand for rides Friday and Saturday than Thursdays, the news releases stated.
More specifically, if four people need a ride Thursday, 10 will need rides Friday or Saturday.
The program will immediately begin operating six cars Thursday, instead of eight, and then use nine cars Friday and Saturday, instead of eight those days.
"Right now we are planning to re-allocate the number of cars from Thursday for Fridays," MSA Vice President Danielle Bellis said.
STRIPES is planning first to re-allocate the cars and then increase the number of cars in spring 2011, Bellis said. They also aim to increase the number of days the program runs by adding the first and last weeks of the school year to the STRIPES calendar.
"We've seen a lot of demand on certain nights," MSA President Tim Noce said. "Adding an extra car looks like it could alleviate a lot of that demand, so we've been working on options."
STRIPES is one of nine MSA auxiliaries and therefore receives funding from its budget.
"STRIPES is an auxiliary, and they are working toward becoming self-sustaining," Noce said. "STRIPES has an endowment, so they can eventually work off that interest."
Although it has an endowment, it's not enough to fully support the program. To increase the total number of cars, MSA will have to approve a budget increase to the auxiliary. The budget will be up for deliberation before and after spring break in Senate.
MSA has also encountered issues with students requesting more cars on holiday nights, such as St. Patrick's Day on Wednesday.
The issue that has arisen with holiday hours is when you have the drivers going out, staffing can be difficult because of exams MSA Secretary to the Auxiliaries Seth Botts said. The STRIPES executive board has decided against holiday hours.
"What differentiates the auxiliaries from a student service or activity is that they're pretty independent," Botts said. "They operate on their own, and they turn to me if they need assistance with something like advertising."
STRIPES has a contract with Avis Car Rentals, Noce said. For next year, it wants to work out a fair price for another extra car.
"When Danielle and I were campaigning and talking to student organizations, we heard a lot of demand for improvements on STRIPES," Noce said. "Many students asked, 'Why doesn't it run on these days?' or 'Why do I have to wait hours for a ride?' "