Bearline

BEAR LINE Getting the most out of Missouri State’s shuttle service

ERIN FRAZIER Staff Reporter @efrazier2019

The first day of school evokes nerves even the most emotionally iron-clad individuals cannot escape. This does not change at the collegiate level.

However, Missouri State University provides a variety of resources that can make the adjustment to adulthood and autonomy less nerve-wracking and more fluid.

A popular resource for students is the Bear Line.

The Bear Line is a shuttle bus service that transports students to different parts of the main campus, downtown and some student housing.

“There are almost 40 stops that the Bear Line stops (at) and we have up to 15 shuttles running at one time,” said Cole Pruitt, man ager of transportation. “This allows the Bear Line to serve over one million student riders every year.”

According to the MSU’s transportation services website, the average wait time for a bus is anywhere from 5-15 minutes, but it is recommended to allow yourself 15-25 minutes from the start of your class to ensure that you arrive on time.

Additionally, the Bear Line is accessible to students who have physical handicaps.

“Each shuttle has special lifting devices for wheelchairs,” the website said. “There is full use of the Bear Line for all people.”

According to the transportation services’ website, the Bear Line’s weekday hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the fall and spring semesters. There are eight weekday routes:

Blue

The Blue route travels to many of the residence halls: Woods House, Scholars House, Sunvilla Tower and Kentwood Hall.

Green

The Green route travels to non-academic buildings: Hammons Student Center, JQH Arena, Foster Recreation Center, Bear Park North and Plaster Student Union, as well as some of the residence halls.

Gold

The Gold route travels to university buildings downtown: Meyer Alumni Center, Morris Center, Park Central Office Building, Brick City and MSU parking lot numbers 47 and 48.

Gold Express

The Gold Express route stops at many of the same locations as the Gold route, but it runs every five minutes from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. as opposed to the 10-15 minute periods of the other routes.

Orange East

The Orange East route is a hodgepodge, making stops at Plaster Student Union, Monroe Apartments, MSU parking lots 22/24, Kings Street, Art Annex, Carrington Hall, Bear Park South, Duane G. Meyer Library and Foster Recreation Center.

Orange West

The Orange West route makes stops at Plaster Student Union, Woods House, Hutchens and Hammons Houses, Wehr Band Hall and many of the main streets located near the university. It also goes from Carrington Hall to Bear Park South.

Purple

The Purple route stops at Greek Row, Woods House, Plaster Student Union, Foster Recreation Center, Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts, JQH Arena, Elm Street and Scholars House.

Red

The Red route travels to Bear Park North and South, Art Annex, Carrington Hall, Plaster Stadium, the library and JQH Arena.

The evening and weekend hours for the Bear Line are 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sunday-Wednesday. On Thursday, the Bear Lines run from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. but are not available Friday and Saturday evening.

The two routes that run during the evening are:

Maroon North

Maroon North makes stops at Bear Park North, Sunvilla Tower, Lots 44/51, Kentwood Hall, Park Central Square District, Brick City, the Morris Center, and the Meyer Alumni Center located downtown.

Maroon South

Maroon South stops at Bear Park North, Hammons Student Center, Glass Hall, Bear Park South, the library, Foster Recreation Center, Plaster Student Union, Woods House, Scholars House, Greek Row, and Elm Street.

Joseph Elwood, a sophomore geography major, has nothing but positive things to say about the Bear Line.

“It’s really nice when you get back late and have to park at Bear Park North,” Elwood said. “It also helps a lot if it’s really cold so I don’t have to deal with the weather.”

According to Pruitt and the transportation website, the Bear Line is paid for with a small percentage of student fees. Transportation costs are calculated using a standard of 11 miles per day and mileage rates provided by the Internal Revenue Service. This means that there is no need to pay upon entrance or exit of the shuttle, maximizing efficiency.

Katie Baird is a sophomore biology major who frequents the Bear Line.

“I liked it; the drivers are always super kind,” Baird said. “It was a great way to get across campus safely and quickly, especially

File photo by Jaylen Early/THE STANDARD Students can ride the Bear Line to safely get to and from classes, dorms, apartments and several other areas off-campus.

when the weather was bad or it was late at night.”

The Bear Line is a shuttle service that does it all: maximizes efficiency, provides a reliable and friendly method of traveling on and off-campus and is accessible to all students. Ultimately, it is just one facet of Missouri State which makes college feel like a home away from home.

File Photo by Jaylen Early/THE STANDARD Bear Crew volunteers joyfully push a cart filled with luggage for a student outside of Freudenberger House on Friday, Aug. 17, 2019.

When I was a freshman . . . What you should know going into your first year of college

KELSEY BENACK Staff Reporter @kelseybenack

For incoming freshmen, arriving at college can seem daunting, and many may have an overwhelming amount of questions.

A handful of Missouri State upperclassmen share tips and tricks they wish they would have known as college freshmen.

Hannah Stash, Missouri State alumnus, suggested students walk through their class schedules before the first day of classes.

“Walk around campus and familiarize yourself with the buildings your classes are in,” Stash said. “I had a class in the football stadium, and when I asked people what building my schedule said I should be in, they didn’t have a clue. It’s best to figure that out ahead of time.”

The Missouri State website gives the individual addresses of each building on campus, and students can use this resource if they are unsure of where a class may be located.

Fiona Lefresne, athletic training grad uate student, advised students to get to know the people on their floor. She said this was how she met her best friends with whom she lived for two years.

“Labor Day weekend, everyone went home on my floor,” Lefresne said. “This one girl was going door-to-door on our floor to find someone to eat dinner with, and I was the only one who answered. We went to dinner, and because of that we ended up great friends.”

Sav Rose, history education major, en couraged students to participate in the Welcome Weekend events. Welcome Weekend events give students opportunities to

get to know other people. Bear Bash and New Student Festival are two examples.

“Go to the Welcome Weekend events, even if it feels weird because you don’t really know people,” Rose said. “It’s fun, and you’ll find people to talk to.”

For fall 2020, Welcome Weekend events will look a little different. In response to the coronavirus outbreak, MSU will spread out events over the course of a week in order to promote social distancing.

Graduate assistant and academic advisor Maria Meluso recommends that students invest in a good quality rain jacket instead of using an umbrella.

“The first time it stormed and I had class, I used an umbrella from one of my Italian great aunts thinking I’d be protected,” Meluso said. “One gust of wind pulled the umbrella inside-out. I walked to class in the pouring rain with a useless, broken umbrella and was soaked the rest of the day. However, bonding over that experience helped me become friends with some of my other soaked classmates, and we are still friends today.”

Meluso also mentioned that college clubs and organizations function differently than high school ones. She recommended a different approach.

“Pick one organization you feel strongly about, even if it isn’t Greek (Life),” Meluso said. “I thought I had to join a bunch like I did in high school to fit in. But the one I stuck with is the one I now lead, even in graduate school. Find that one thing that makes you happy, and start there.”

Hannah King, graduate student, said as a freshman she consistently misplaced her keys, locking herself out of her room.

“At least until you get into the habit of having your keys with you at all times; don’t be afraid to wear them around your neck or make a routine out of it,” King said. “It will pay off even if you feel a bit ridiculous at the time.”

King also said that students may benefit from becoming familiar with their class syllabi.

“Take notes on your syllabus and know the policies,” King said. “Asking your professor something that is already stated in the syllabus is a big no-no and is pretty embarrassing. But all other questions are pretty much fair game and will even help you build rapport.”

If freshmen share multiple classes with people, King said they should get to know them.

“Meet people in your classes.” King said. “I can’t tell you how many people I shared multiple classes with, and asking their name after the fifth class together can be a bit awkward. You don’t have to be besties, but you might find a study buddy or someone to share notes if you have to miss a class.”

Sarah McCoy, senior religious studies and psychology major, said students should not be afraid to ask for help.

“If you don’t know something, just ask,” McCoy said. “Campus is full of wonderful people who are there to help you. If you don’t know who to ask, ask someone anyways. They will likely be able to get you to the right person if they don’t know the answer. Practicing being bold doesn’t always mean you’ll do it perfectly, but practice makes progress.”