No one is more aware of high gas prices than commuter students, who are finding that filling up their tanks is harder than getting to class on time. ETSU has a plan to help.
No, they are not giving away free gas cards. Instead, the Adult, Commuter and Transfer Services just launched a new Rideshare program to help students cut down on transportation costs by carpooling.
Basically, the program is designed to “provide a method for students to find other students,” said Carla Warner, director of Adult, Commuter and Transfer Services. Open to all ETSU students, faculty and staff, Rideshare is an extension of the current carpooling program. It uses message boards to connect those who wish to carpool, but do not know anyone.
Why would a student want to carpool? To save on gas, help the environment and to get a cool carpool parking pass.
For those who are interested, it’s simple. The first step is to fill out a form which can be found at the Adult, Commuter and Transfer Services Office on the second floor of the D.P. Culp Center or online at http://www.etsu.edu/students/acts/ by clicking on “Green My Ride.” Keep in mind that the form must be returned in person, for safety issues.
After the registration form is turned in, Graduate Assistant Beverly Lee adds the “Rideshare link” to the participant’s D2L site.
The link provides all the information needed to set up a carpool, but it is ultimately up to the participant to find someone to carpool with. They do this by posting on message boards, which are divided by area and what campus the person needs a ride to. The participant can reply to other requests or make their own, which gives them the opportunity to connect with others and discuss a possible carpooling plan.
If it looks as though a participant has found a possible match, Warner advised that safety should be the top priority.
Students should “use good common sense” when deciding whether to carpool with someone or not. Her tips include meeting in a public place, such as on campus during the daytime, discussing the condition of each other’s vehicles and driving records, as well as making sure that each driver has a valid driver’s license and car insurance.
Warner stressed these tips because the Adult, Commuter and Transfer Services Office is unable to check every vehicle, but participants can be assured that all of the people enrolled in Rideshare are affiliated with ETSU.
Although carpooling may not be the best option for the entire 80 percent of students who commute to various ETSU campuses, Warner believes that “this is the best way we thought we could help people.”
“There are people who could be good at this,” said Warner. It is an opportunity for students to “enhance their college experience and meet new friends.”
Sophomore nursing student Brandy Shanks says she would be interested in trying out the program, but worries about safety. “I wouldn’t make a decision right away to carpool with someone I didn’t know. As a female, sometimes it’s hard to trust people.”
A third-year history major, student Micah Manuel said, “I have never heard of that program but I do carpool with one of my friends. I think that would be a nice program to start but I do not think it would really solve any problems.”
Rideshare is not a new concept. “These sites exist elsewhere in big cities,” Warner said. The office administered this same program in the late ’80s and early ’90s, but instead of D2L, they used a bulletin board and put pins on a map showing the places students were interested in carpooling from.
Besides rides to school, Warner suggested that students use the site to find people who want to carpool to concerts, athletic events, etc.
If a student decides that they no longer want to participate in the Rideshare program, a simple call to the Adult, Commuter and Transfer Services Office will get them taken off the list. For more information, call 439-5641.

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