SEMO program offers sober ride home to students

For many Southeast Missouri State University students, finding a safe ride home can be a challenge after a long night of drinking. A new university-sponsored program aims to make sure students get home safe and sound.

A university study showed eight of 10 students agree a designated driver is defined as the person in the group who has consumed absolutely no alcohol, and more than 80 percent of Southeast students use a designated driver to get to and from drinking establishments safely.

University dean of students Dr. Debbie Below said the Safe Ride Program was designed to replace the downtown WINGS [When In Need Go Shuttle] route, which was discontinued last spring because of low participation. The service had picked up students from the residence halls and dropped them off at specific locations in downtown Cape Girardeau.

"WINGS originated as an initiative designed to be a safe ride home," Student Government Association president Benny Dorris said. "It evolved into this commercial route. Originally it had really good ridership. Students were taking the safe ride home, and they were taking WINGS. Now that declined, but we still felt it was important to have a safe ride for student's downtown. We had mentioned at our executive training last January -- that wouldn't it be cool to have a safe ride program?"

It turned out Below's office already was developing a pilot version of Safe Ride, which allows students to be picked up from downtown by the Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority anytime between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

SGA is monitoring use of the program but is not providing funding during the trial period. That could change if the program continues.

"Students can call the CTA, present a student ID and get a safe ride back to their residence hall," Dorris said. "Right now, we're just tracking numbers not SO [Southeast ID] numbers or names, so when the pilot season is over, we can make a judgment."

The program also takes students to their off-campus homes, as long they are within Cape Girardeau city limits. The program's trial period continues through Nov. 2.

"The usage, cost and student response to the program will be evaluated at the conclusion of this trial period," Below said in an email. "As Nov. 2 approaches, we will determine if the program will continue and/or if the service should be altered in some way. It may be possible that students will be able to use the program a specified number of times each semester and/or pay a small fee. At some universities, the charge for the service is placed on the student's account. We will work with Student Government Association to make decisions about the program moving forward."

Students in need of a ride should call the CTA at 335-5533.

"I think it's a smart program, and it will probably help a lot of students," Southeast senior Melanie Whithaus said.

Pertinent address:

1 University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, MO