NU provides rides to ski areas

With the winter season almost here, Norwich University's Activities Center has begun planning the details for the shuttle that will bring students to and from the Sugarbush Ski Area, according to Kelly Allenspach, of the center.

These shuttles will not be available until next semester, said Allenspach. "The shuttles will begin next semester. The number of times and frequency is currently being discussed," she said.

According to Allenspach there are several factors that influence how often the shuttle will run. "Cost, student interest and participation in the past and the availability of drivers for the shuttle," she said.

"[Last year] transportation was available once a week when the snow fell and it cost about $5 for a round trip," said Tim Duduit, 19, a sophomore psychology major from San Antonio, Texas.

According to Allenspach, "In previous years, the organization of the shuttle was difficult." There are many details that the Student Activities Office needs to consider when transporting students to and from the ski areas, said Allenspach.

"The Student Activities Office needed to secure a driver to drive a university van, and the vans can only accommodate approximately six to seven students, not including space for equipment," said Allenspach.

However, for the next winter season the activities center is considering using larger busses for transportation to the mountains, which cost much more money, according to Allenspach.

If students do not take advantage of the shuttle service then it may hinder what happens in the future. "There have been times when students did not utilize the shuttle," Allenspach said.

"Perhaps it was a problem of communication or students were too busy the times that the shuttle ran, these problems will be taken into consideration when determining the shuttle schedule for next semester," Allenspach said.