As Florida prepares for a potential hit from Hurricane Dorian, the University of Miami has initiated a shuttle service to help students buy supplies. The buses ran Friday from 12 to 8 p.m. and will resume Saturday with the same hours of operation.
Students can board the shuttles at three on-campus pick up locations: the University Village, Mahoney-Pearson and the Architecture Circle. Off-campus, the bus stops at CVS, Publix and Whole Foods. The route takes about 30-minutes from start to finish.
Janine Peroune, a sophomore majoring in Spanish, caught the shuttle to buy bread and eggs. She said she felt satisfied with the university’s efforts and felt as if “they’re doing everything they can.”
Sarah Nichols, a sophomore majoring in marine science and geology, also used the shuttle to get bread and water from Publix. Nichols said she was confident in the UM administration’s ability to prepare for the hurricane.
“They have plenty of experience,” she said. “They know what they’re doing.”
Nichols is not worried about the storm, she said.
Tatiana Soper, a sophomore majoring in exercise physiology, and Emily Couts, a junior majoring in health sciences, both stated they went to the store Thursday night to stock up on snacks.
When they saw the shuttle service being offered, Sopher and Couts decided to take advantage and buy more supplies.
“It doesn’t hurt to have too many snacks,” they said. In addition to water and nonperishable foods, the pair stocked up on flashlights.
Many students aboard the bus said the shuttle service was extremely helpful and beneficial, especially since it alleviated the need to spend money on Ubers. Some students said they hope a similar service will be implemented during the regular school year to make grocery shopping easier in everyday, non-emergency situations.