Come celebrate the resolution of Off Campus College Transport’s financial troubles!

On Friday, Sept. 19, student-run campus radio station WHRW 90.5 is planning a barbecue to celebrate the agreement made regarding Off Campus College Transport (OCCT) buses. This event will take place at the Dickinson Amphitheater from 2 to 5 p.m., and free food and music will be provided.

Mike Saltzman, general manager of WHRW, said that WHRW’s board of directors decided unanimously to be supportive of OCCT.

“We originally planned the event to rally support behind OCCT,” he said. “However, since there’s been a resolution we now hope to hold a celebration that will unite the students who voiced their concerns over the issue.”

Though WHRW doesn’t usually participate in advocacy issues, Saltzman said they felt that involvement in this conflict was in the students’ interest. In addition to this, many of the radio station’s members have direct ties to OCCT and felt compelled to act.

Saltzman said that a representative from OCCT told him that between 2,500 and 4,000 students ride the buses each day, not including weekends. Faculty and employees also rely on the buses as a daily source of transportation.

If the bus routes were reduced, “it would’ve been almost impossible to be on campus and not be affected in some way — even if you didn’t use the buses yourself,” Saltzman said.

Though the situation was resolved before the barbecue was to take place, Saltzman said he believed it was already successful, due to the publicity it was generating.

Students shared Saltzman’s enthusiasm.

Jordan Zager, a sophomore English and cinema major, said he felt “relief, absolute and utter relief” when he heard the news of the resolution.

Edward Urena, a senior accounting major, had a similar opinion.

“I’m relieved that the bus service won’t be canceled,” he said. “The picnic is a way for us to come together and recognize the accomplishment of the University and the [Student Association].”

Public Relations Coordinator for OCCT Daren Marrom also said that he is extremely pleased that an agreement has been reached.

“I’m very happy that the University and SA worked hard to accomplish their goal,” Marrom said.

Although an agreement has been made, he stressed the importance of still attending the barbeque.

“WHRW put this event together to rally students and it’s been successful,” Marrom said. “It’s great for students to demonstrate how important the bus service is to them.”

Students attending the event have something to be proud of, he continued.

“We’ve been providing this service for years but haven’t seen an actual demonstration of how important we are to them — they were fighting to keep us active and they should be proud,” he said. “This event is a celebration of the agreement and appreciation for our services, and a large student turnout would prove that,” he added.

Marrom confirmed he will be attending the picnic to celebrate with the students who have been supporting OCCT.

For more information about this event, visit whrw.org/OCCT.