Jane Yerim Kim
English 106
11/20/2014
Unit 3: Persuasive Research Project
A Safe Drive Home
The primary goal set by any elite university should be to provide high caliber education
all the while ensuring safety for all its students. Many may agree that the atmosphere of Purdue
University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, meets the criteria of a fine college campus;
however, there are certain areas where they call for the administrators’ attention. One of the
improvements that should be made is the late-night transportation systems. The administrators of
Purdue University should organize a call-in taxi service as a part of the Purdue Students Security
Patrol (PSSP) Safe Walk program because not only will it protect students from cold late-night
walks, but also will encourage students to use a designated driver, and promote the security of
the students.
The ride service should be an option for students to add onto his or her tuition plan before
each academic year. For those students that decide to take the initial step to invulnerability,
should be able to rely on the call-in taxi program to be picked up from wherever on Purdue’s
campus to be safely dropped off at a desired destination within a reasonable radius around
campus. To make the system suitable for all students, it should be available 24 hours, 7 days a
week.
In fact, Purdue University has already taken the step to improve the safety of its students
through the Purdue Student Security Patrol (PSSP) organization’s “Safe Walk” program. This
particular program allows students to call a hotline, operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to
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request an escort to and from campus buildings. Although this is a viable plan, an additional taxilike service for students is in need because simply walking may not be enough for some
situations, such as avoiding the cold weather, or being unable to walk from being intoxicated.
Many colleges and universities throughout the nation have already incorporated a similar idea
into their safety programs. For example, University of Michigan has a student tuition-fee funded
program called the “Safe Ride.” Along with “Safe Ride,” there lists other alternatives such as
“Night Ride,” “Emergency Ride Home,” and “State Street Ride;” different alternatives come
with different sets of regulations and cost (Student Life). Similarly, University of Oregon has a
student-run program called the “Designated Driver Shuttle,” also known as “DDS,” which is also
student tuition-fee funded. Some may argue that Purdue University already has late-night
transportation systems such as “NightRider” and “Tower Acres;” however, the “NightRider”
loop only operates Thursday through Saturday 8:55 p.m. through 1:55 a.m., while “Tower
Acres” runs Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. through 12:02 a.m. and only on the east side
of campus (CityBus Greater Lafayette). There calls for a system that runs 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week because students who are out late deserve comfortable, convenient, and safe means of
transportation.
For those who are familiar with Indiana’s winters, they may be able to agree that
Purdue’s frigid temperatures are undesirable to trek through. Fall students of Purdue have finals
in mid-December (when temperatures drop drastically), which means they have to prepare by
studying day and night. When “NightRider” and “Tower Acres” are the only means of
transportation, students will not be motivated to use the privileges they have of a quiet, warm
library at night. “NightRider” is only available on the weekends, which makes it an unacceptable
choice. “Tower Acres” may be a solution for some students who live in the northern residence
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halls of Owen or Tarkington, but it may not be the same for those who live in Earhart, Shreve,
McCutcheon, and so many more. In addition, first-year students are not allowed to have regular
parking permits on campus. With no cars, students will be forced to walk or bike after hours,
when regular buses have ceased.
Furthermore, Purdue University needs a call-in taxi service for students who carouse at
night. Reports show that 42.7% of American college students become inebriated with alcohol
(Fournier, Geller, Glindemann, and Timmerman 127). With a high percentage, almost half of the
student body who drink, Purdue requires a safer way for them to get back home, and off the
streets. Many college students are willing to use designated drivers among the social group; yet,
a recent study shows that naming someone as the designated driver does not necessarily mean he
or she will abstain from consuming alcoholic beverages. A research conducted by Mary A.
Glascoff, Michele Wallen, and Joe Shrader has concluded that 70% of their participants showed
that they have served as designated drivers, and 19.2% of those designated drivers admitted to
consuming alcohol while serving as the designated driver (Glascoff, Shrader, and Wallen 16).
Although we would normally associate designated drivers as those who decline alcoholic
beverages to be the safeguard of others, this study shows otherwise. “Many college students
may believe that they are acting as a DD [designated driver] as long as they are ‘more sober’
than other group members in the group” (Cheong, Dermody, and Walther 315). It is clear that
many college students do not practice safe-driving even when named as the designated driver of
a group of friends. Administrators of Purdue University have taken these occasions into
considerations and have acted to ensure safety by creating the “NightRider” loop, operating on
the weekends at late hours; on the other hand, college students may attend bars on Monday
nights as casually as they do on Friday nights.
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Additionally, it has been reported that many college students drive under the influence of
drugs. “Drugs were more commonly used than alcohol among nighttime drivers in this study.
Beirness and Beasley (2010) found that cannabis and cocaine were the most prevalent substances
found when testing nighttime drivers for substance use” (Glascoff, Shrader, and Wallen 14). Not
only is drunk driving an issue among many college students, but also driving under the influence
of drugs such as marijuana and cocaine. A portion from the Journal of Alcohol & Drug
Education titled “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk, But Do They Let Friends Drive
High?” explains that the use of marijuana does impair driving, debunking a myth that many
students overlook:
More recently, Asbridge, Hayden, and Cartwright (2012) performed a review of
nine studies with a total sample of 49,411 people to determine whether the
consumptions of cannabis increased the risk of a motor vehicle collision. They
reported that drivers who consume cannabis within three hours of driving are
nearly twice as likely to cause a vehicle collision as those who are not under the
influence of drugs or alcohol. They also reported that there is a substantially
higher chance of collision if the driver is aged 35 or younger. (Glascoff, Haddock,
and Shrader 72)
A study and survey done by Department of Health Education and Promotion of East Carolina
University asked 105 males and 91 females, mostly Freshmen and under the age of 21, the
question “In your opinion is it okay to drive after smoking marijuana?” Almost 65% of those
who have been asked responded that they thought it was okay to drive after smoking marijuana
(Glascoff, Haddock, and Shrader 77). Clearly, many college students are not aware of the risks
of driving under the influence of illicit drugs. As more evidences indicate the misconception
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among large group of students, Purdue University should enlighten the students with the truth,
but most importantly take care of these students who may be in danger through any way
possible, such as providing them with a safe ride home.
Furthermore, many students walking at night may feel very uncomfortable and unsafe.
Many may say that the crime rates in West Lafayette are very low and there need not be an
additional safety escort; however, many minor crimes, such as battery and reports of stolen
property are usual in this area. “Pezza (1995) recognized that there has been a lack of clarity
related to how colleges, universities ,and law enforcement personnel define crime and violence,
coupled with a continuous underreporting of crimes at the college level” (Jackson, Terrell 139).
Also, there has been a trend which many colleges and universities under-report certain crimes
due to the unjustified tactic of defining a crime or the lack of seriousness while rating these
misdemeanors. There is a possibility that small cases of offense have not had the authorities
intervene, but may have done harm to fellow Purdue students. Take into consideration a bane of
last year; a shooting took place on Purdue’s campus that left everyone with a sense of paranoia.
Having an always-ready hotline to dial for a safe ride may protect students and palliate the
feeling of uneasiness. Providing students an alternative of walking alone with a taxi service may
be an important step to take for Purdue administrators, as they will be making a proactive
decision to keep their students from harm.
Ultimately, administrator of Purdue University should not disregard this situation. The
simple supplement of a call-in taxi service to the PSSP Safe Walk program will help students
through the harsh winters, motivate students to seek a safer alternative to a designated driver, and
to feel safe. Although not all administrators would agree that implementing this idea is the best,
it should be considered. Funding this proposal would not pose a threat if the drivers were to be
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Purdue University student volunteers, because volunteering hours would be given in return.
Another solution could be to exchange their service with free room or boarding. “Last year at
Ohio State, Michael Dworkin, then a senior, started a petition calling for expansion of the
university’s Safety Escort Service to walk or drive students home. The petition got 6,500
signatures and resulted in two new vehicles for the overburdened service” (Ball, “Staying Safe
on Campus”). If a student petition in Ohio was able to raise enough attention to the public about
a similar situation thus resulting in two new vehicles, Purdue University making this investment
can also lead to a huge impact. A donation can be opened to the Purdue alumni to fund the
service, or it can become an option for the students. Purdue’s in-state fee and tuition is about
$23,002, with the transportation service costing about $210. If a student decides to take the
opportunity of the taxi-service by the PSSP Safe Walk program, adding only about $10-15 to the
transportation cost per student may be enough to fund two or three cars, including gas, for this
program. The cost and risk to implement this program is very minimal. The administrators of
Purdue University should rivet their attentions on this call-in taxi program and implement this
service as a part of the Safe Walk program as it will benefit many.
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Work Citied
Ball, Aimee Lee. “Staying Safe on Campus.” The New York Times. 20 July 2012. Web. 23 Nov.
2014. (Online Source)
Cheong, JeeWon, Sarah S. Dermody, and Christine A. Walther. “A Study of Alcohol Use by
Designated Drivers Among College Students.” Journal of American College Health. Vol.
60, No. 4. Ebscohost. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. (Peer-Reviewed Source)
CityBus Greater Lafayette. Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation, 2014. Web. 23
Nov. 2014. (Online Source)
Fournier, Angela K., E. Scott Geller, Kent E. Glindemann, and Mary Ann Timmerman. “Do the
Designated Drivers of College Students Stay Sober?” Journal of Safety Research 34
(2003): 127-133. Ebscohost. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. (Peer-reviewed Journal)
Glascoff, Mary A., Joe Shrader, and Michele Wallen. “College Student Utilization of Designated
Drivers After Drug or Alcohol Use.” The Chronicle for DE Professionals. 2012: 14-17.
Ebscohost. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. (Peer-review Journal)
Glascoff, Mary A., Rose K. Haddock, and Joe S. Shrader. “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive
Drunk, But Do They Let Friends Drive High?” Journal of Alcohol & Drug Education.
2013, Vol. 57 Issue 1: 66-84. Ebscohost. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. (Peer-reviewed Journal)
Jackson, Jerlando F.L., and Melvin C. Terrell. Creating and Maintaining Safe College Campuses:
A Sourcebook for Evaluating and Enhancing Safety Programs. Herndon: Stylus
Publishing, LLC., 2007. Print. (Book source)
Student Life. University of Michigan. n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. (Online source)
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Meta-Text
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How did your project evolve? How did the writing/composition change throughout the process?
When did you begin your project? How long did you work on it?
What, if any, group collaboration or assistance did you do or receive?
What do you feel are the strengths of your work?
What are the areas you would like to improve? What might you do to improve these areas (think
about the resources available to you, and please be specific if you would like me to answer
particular questions, too).
6. How did you use my feedback and/or teaching lessons in this assignment? If I suggested you
change something in your draft, explain how you used my advice in your work. If you decided
not to take my suggestion(s), please fully explain why not.
At the beginning of this research paper, I was very overwhelmed with the amount of
work I was handed with. However, I personally thought this research project was going to be
very easy because I was given the choice to choose my research topic, with no limits. I first went
with the idea of educating Purdue students about the basics of Asian race, because I was
bothered with the amount of hostility against Asians on campus. However, I noticed that no one
would disagree with me since it is obvious that it is a problem. As a result, I changed my topic to
adding a ride escort service to the SafeWalk program. I began this project on the 15th, about
every three days. I did not have any group collaborations except for my peer reviews. I feel like
the strengths of my work are the reasons behind my proposal; however, I believe I can improve
my writing on the overall structure of my paper, and practice is probably the best way to improve
this area. I did not have any suggestions made but I was able to add in a few details about the
crime rates in West Lafayette to improve my reasoning.