'Nova shuttle suspended; drunken behavior cited

The Villanova shuttle ran until 2 a.m., allowing students to go to the local bars. Local residents complained that they were noisy and roaming through their neighborhoods. Cabrini proposed a shuttle like this two years ago, but it never went through. Dr. Robert Bonfiglio feels that if Cabrini students acted like this, disciplinary actions would be taken.

by Mary Eileen O'Connor assistant features editor

Vtllanova University suspended its student shuttle bus in early October after Lower Merion residents complained to police that noisy, drunken students were wandering through their neighborhoods.

According to the Rev. John Stack. dean of students at Villanova, the shuttle is suspended until December.

Like Cabrini's shuttle bus, Villanova's shuttle took students to local shops and restaurants.

The shuttle, which has been running for several years, was established to provide transportation for Vtllanova's on-campus residents who do not have cars. Firstyear residents at Villanova are not permitted to have cars and sophomores are ortly given parking passes if space is available.

According to the Stack, some students were also using the shuttle to get to off-campus parties. He said most students that were using the shuttle were on-campus residents who do not have cars.

The shuttle in question ran late Friday and Saturday nights until 2 a.m. Problems arose when students headed back from parties and bars through the local neighborhoods to pick up the shuttle.

Stack said that the local residents' main complaints were about excessive noise in the early morning hours. He said there were also some disturbances when students arrived back on campus.

According to Dr. Bob Bonfiglio, vice president for student development at Cabrini, a plan to run a shuttle bus that would take Cabrini students to local bars was proposed by the Student Government Association two years ago. No such shuttle was ever established.

Bonfiglio agreed with Villanova' s decision to suspend their shuttle.

"It is not appropriate to provide transportation to the local watering holes," he said.

Stack said most of the students who caused the disturbances were not identified. Disciplinary action by Villanova University may be taken against students if they get in trouble with the police off-campus.

Cabrini also has the option to take disciplinary action against students if they get in trouble off campus.

The Student Handbook states:

"In certain cases where the institution's interests as an academic community are impacted, College disciplinary proceedings may be taken against a student charged with a violation of a law that is also a violation of the Code of