About

STRIPES is a student-run volunteer organization that provides free, safe, and confidential rides to MU students, creating a unique opportunity that allows students to serve their peers, making a lasting impact while keeping our campus and community safe.

Vision

STRIPES strives to become the most efficient safe ride program in the nation, with a continual focus on decreasing wait times--thereby decreasing the likelihood that a patron may make the choice to drink and drive. In the near future we will also make the transition to become financially independent of the University, fulfilling the wishes of our program's founding fathers. At the same time, STRIPES strives to elevate itself on a pedestal of volunteer organizations through continual respect of and valuing volunteers, while never losing focus of safety.

STRIPES is a service organization comprised of a MU students dedicated to having fun while maintaining the safety of Columbia's streets by providing free rides home for MU students.

In its first year, STRIPES was comprised of over 200 student volunteers. We operate most Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights while classes are in session, and accept calls from 10pm until 3am. We provide free rides home to any MU student. We will pick up and drop off anywhere in the Columbia city limits, but will only take students to a home address, never a bar or party.

Volunteers report to the STRIPES headquarters by 9:30pm. After brief and often comical introductions, executives conduct driver/passenger and phoner training. Each car has a male and a female, and the phone room controls three lines for incoming calls.

One of our three phoners takes incoming phone calls on the STRIPES line (573-442-9672). The phoner enters the patron's information into our network system. Dispatchers then assign cars rides, based on the number of patrons and the time the call came in. When our drivers pick up the students our dispatcher is notified, and is notified again when the students are safely dropped off at their home. At 3am sharp, we stop accepting calls for new rides. Any students currently on the waiting list are encouraged to call after that time should they need to cancel a ride.

STRIPES falls under the Department of Student Services (DSS) of the Missouri Students Association (MSA). The program is headed by a Director, an executive board, and team leaders. Each of the executive members is put in charge of a facet of the program such as our finances, publicity, or keeping records. The team leaders are in charge of making this an organization that is fun for everyone and as a way to get to know each other in more intimate groups. Possibly our biggest pride point of the program is that we are completely student run; from the very beginning all of the work has been done by student