By Jeremy Pelzer

Student government editor

Many Eastern students are happy to see the Panther Express resume service to almost two dozen on and off-campus locations last week, while others grumble about the revised bus schedule.

“It’s good that it started back up because it takes people back to Wal-Mart who don’t have a car,” said Utopia Pope, a freshman computer graphics design major.

“It’s an opportunity for students to get rides to places they normally don’t have rides to,” said Donna Turner, a sophomore family services major, who said she was “glad” to see the bus running again.

“It’s good, because a lot of people drink underage – that’s a fact,” said Alex White, a freshman computer management major. “For people who are intoxicated, they shouldn’t have to walk or drive. If you have a shuttle bus, it can protect them from the weather and help other people on the road.”

The Panther Express was shut down on March 9 when H&H Transportation of Charleston and the university mutually agreed to cancel the company’s contract to run two shuttle buses. H & H resumed service March 22 after it and the university agreed on a new contract that will run a single bus through the end of the school year.

Because only one bus runs now, there will be a longer wait between buses, said Adam Weyhaupt, speaker of the Student Senate.

For example, Weyhaupt said, the bus will stop at Carman Hall two times per hour rather than the seven times per hour detailed under the old contract.

The new contract also drops the Panther Express route to Mattoon, he said.

Renae Weinberger, a freshman elementary education major, said that while she prefers the Panther Express over walking to class, she wishes there were still two shuttle buses.

With two buses, “More (people) can ride it, and it can come at different times when people need it,” she said.

“It’s not as reliable as before and it comes at a bad time,” said Lisa Wenzel, a freshman psychology major.

Wenzel said that although most classes begin on the hour, the shuttle bus now comes at erratic times under the new schedule.

“My class is at 9 a.m., but the bus is here at 8:20,” she said. “I used to take the bus all the time … but I walk to class now.”

“It’s always not on time,” said Gun Kim, a junior sociology major. “I usually leave for class 30 minutes early.”

Some did not even see a need for the Panther Express now that Spring is on the horizon.

“I think it’s nice enough that we can walk to class,” said Monica Strazzante, a sophomore philosophy and sociology major. “Why waste the fuel?”