The chance that college students will get student Metro passes are better than ever. In response to the news, GW’s student body Executive Vice President Kyle Boyer emailed the Georgetown University Lobbying Association’s Andrew D’Souza (SFS `11), urging a Georgetown student movement in favor of the pass:
“Think about it: If any university subsidized 65 dollars per semester for each unlimited pass, students could be left paying ONLY $55 for a semester’s worth of rides on Metro rail, saving many students over $100 per semester.
What we need now is YOU. Write your Deans, VPs and both Student Body and University Presidents. Let them know that you are a Metro rider and that you spend too much on your internships, jobs, concerts, and other functions.”
Well-intentioned, but if Metro and the consortium of Washington-area universities do hammer out a plan, it’s hard to believe that Georgetown will cough up $65 for students who want to get their hands on a pass. Instead, the University would bury another double-digit figure in our Student Activities Fee (as with Yates, but add a digit.)
GULA’s D’Souza is also raring to lobby on behalf of this issue, and has an idea of his own. In an email to the Voice, he wrote:
“I say we use the money we currently spend on GUTS to subsidize the G2 city bus (goes from the front gates to Dupont Circle) so that Gtown students, faculty, and staff ride free. With the money currently spent on GUTS, we could probably get increased frequency with the G2 (during peak it runs every 20 min, at other times every 30-40 min), and an actual reliable source of transportation to the metro.”
D’Souza’s got the right idea in suggesting that the University move money that it already spends. As for Boyer, if he were at Georgetown, this is where he’d be.
Flickr photo from user schodts used under a Creative Commons license
Entries (RSS)
October 5th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
No way should we give up GUTS for the G2.
October 6th, 2008 at 11:53 am
As D’Souza points out in the rest of his email, GUTS can be completely unreliable, especially on the weekends. And on that, G2 can go places the neighbors have decided GUTS can’t, so rides are shorter. Cutting it back (on weekends) may be something to think about if GUTS doesn’t step up its game… except it’s unlikely the University could score free G2 rides for us.
October 6th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
If busses are included, this guy would be down
October 6th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Kyle Boyer is actually the Student Association Executive Vice President (EVP). Our President is Vishal Aswani.
KYLE BOYER IS NOT MY PRESIDENT!
October 6th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Selected not elected, eh? Thanks for clarifying.
October 6th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Thanks Bill, this was my bad. Boyer definitely doesn’t claim to be president in the email:
Kyle J. Boyer
Student Body Vice President
October 6th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
And to think Molly insisted it wasn’t Vishal. I’m the one who reads too many GW blogs.
October 6th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
“Fool me once…”
October 6th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
hey, guys why don’t you interview some of the new staff members who joined the university, it would be nice to give them a cordial welcome
ps: check about this with the departments