The Globe

Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: News

Media Credit: Chelsey Engel Whole Foods, located on Centre Avenue in Shadyside, can now be accessed by Point Park University shuttles as a resource for students to buy groceries.

A lack of interest from students may have resulted in the disappearance of the Whole Foods shuttle service last semester, but thanks to a campaign organized by a senior dance major, the system is back up and running.

McKenzie Baird, who regularly used the Whole Foods shuttles last year, went into action to restore the service after learning it had been cut.

"I went to the Campus Life Office to find out why they were no longer offered and they said no one used them," Baird said. "Frankly, it's because they didn't advertise and no one knew they ran."

Her complaints reached J.W. Tabacchi, director of Student Activities, who originally removed the shuttle service after an article was published in The Globe revealing students' dissatisfaction with the use of their activity fees.

"If I'm only getting negative feedback, then I have to react," Tabacchi said. "There was a perceived lack of participation so it was something I thought we could get rid of without students getting angry about."

Tabacchi informed Baird that if she could find 50 students who were interested in the return of the shuttles, he would bring the service back.

"I'm always open to bring something back, but I need students to want it," Tabacchi said. "As long as the students show they want something and they will back it up with an action, then I'm open."

Knowing she and many other students would have to walk long distances or pay high taxi fees in order to obtain their groceries, Baird accepted Tabacchi's challenge and created a Facebook group in order to collect her 50 Point Park students.

Along with the social media approach, Baird also received support from former United Student Government (USG) President Ryan Deasy.

"I saw she started the group, and I thought we could do something, so I told her we could do a petition together," Deasy said.

With the support of USG, a petition was made available to sign outside of the Point Cafe, which yielded a sufficient amount of student signatures in order to reinstate the shuttle service for this semester.

Continued...

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