By: Kaila Trowbridge

The University of Saint Mary has a new addition to their transportation services this year. The school has decided to lease their own 25 passenger bus for students to use for different events. The bus is similar to the vans that athletes often take on road trips. There are USB hookups under the seats so passengers have a power source for their electronic devices. The bus comes with a DVD player and a TV so passengers can enjoy a movie or athletes could possibly watch previous games. The bus also offers rear and overhead storage to accommodate the equipment that passengers might need to store. The bus is waiting to get a University of Saint Mary logo placed on it, which will occur on October 17.

Assistant Athletic Director, Troy Katen, oversees the use of the new bus and hopes it will be a good investment for the university. “The logo is a good opportunity to use as a billboard and a marketing tool for the college,” Katen said. “The bus will also save us money, and I think it is a very safe option.” The bus will be used to cut down on the number of times the school must rent a charter bus or a van. Some teams will still require alternative transportation due to the large number of passengers on board, but the bus will be used to get athletes to their evening games or students to their field trip destination.

The bus will require a driver who has a passenger endorsement permit, which only some coaches have. Some trips will require a paid bus driver. Having a driver will maximize safety and will allow coaches to focus on the team instead of investing all their attention to the road. Many teams have used the bus for activities already and Katen is excited for other students and athletes to experience Saint Mary’s newest purchase.

Kaila Trowbridge is a junior at the University of Saint Mary studying digital communications.