Residents have to be out of their dorms by Friday evening, but some students who were hoping to catch a ride home for spring break are encountering problems because the Buckeye Roadtrip buses don’t leave until Saturday at noon.
Undergraduate Student Government’s Buckeye Roadtrip program, which offers a free bus service for students to select Ohio cities, is scheduled to depart from the university Saturday at noon. However, students living in residence halls are required to vacate their rooms by Friday night.
“I just think it’s pretty difficult considering we have to be out of the dorm by Friday… and the bus doesn’t leave until Saturday” said Breana Higgins, a second-year in international studies.
Higgins, a resident of Nosker House on North Campus, said in order to ride the bus, she arranged to stay with another friend until Saturday. Higgins said she has used the Buckeye Roadtrip service before but has never experienced any previous issues.
USG President Taylor Stepp, a third-year in public affairs, said this disconnect occurred as a result of an “organizational development move.”
“This is not exactly what we planned for,” he said.
Stepp pointed out that while the timing might be inconvenient for on-campus residents who tend to use the program the most, it may give off-campus students an opportunity to take advantage of the free bus service.
“There are plenty of students in the off-campus area that do not have cars,” Stepp said.
Stepp said USG aims to help as many students as it can, but planning for the spring break trip was difficult because there is “never a clear consensus as to when students are going.”
Stepp said he had about 50 students personally email him asking to put together a spring break Buckeye Roadtrip. He said this attests to the service’s popularity.
“Our numbers are not down,” he said.
According to a trip roster, about 70 people are expected to take buses to and from Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo over spring break.
Stepp said USG is working to ensure as many students as possible are able to take advantage of the free bus rides and was working with University Residences and Dining Services and the Office of Student Life to allow students living in the dorms to swipe into the residence hall free of charge Saturday morning.
Jake Bruner, chief of staff for USG and a fourth-year in political science, confirmed Thursday evening that USG will be picking up the tab for any students who need to swipe into the residence halls during that window.
Bruner said USG is already planning future trips and similar complications “will not be a problem going forward.”
Higgins said she appreciates USG making an effort to resolve the problem.