Get a clue!

For years, IU has proudly ranked among the “best party schools in America.” And for IU students, having fun generally does not entail sipping apple juice and playing Jenga. Usually, Hoosiers interested in having a good time will not approach juice of any kind not of the “jungle” variety. We’re sorry to break it to those who would like to believe otherwise, but saying that alcohol is “popular” in Bloomington might just be the biggest understatement in IDS history.\nFittingly, campus and city administrators have not failed to notice students’ attachment to alcohol, and they have not deluded themselves into thinking that IU is actually a “dry campus.” Admirably, they have realized that the problem will not go away and have attempted to implement programs to ensure that students in this “drinking town with a football problem” practice safe drinking behaviors. Unfortunately, they have not necessarily gone about this in the most effective way (Think AlcoholEdu, a $331,000 program that achieved the notable distinction of being both “boring” AND “pointless,” according to a Aug. 28 IDS article).\nRecently, County Prosecutor Chris Gaal kicked off a “Get a Ride!” campaign, complete with buzzword-replete signs, posters and handouts that warn students not to drink and drive. For example, one such poster advises students to call a cab or get on a bus instead of driving while smashed. However, whoever designed this media campaign seems to have forgotten to include anything in it that could remotely be seen as useful to drunk students trying to find their way home (or, more likely, to the next party). OK, so maybe students should make better use of the taxi or bus services around town, but it would help if the campaign’s engineers had included a contact number for the cab company or a listing of bus routes on any one of these materials. \nEven better, Gaal’s campaign could have made an actual substantive change or two, such as running extra bus routes or offering a discount cab rate for IU students on weekends. Instead, funds have been expended on glossy paper, which, although of paramount importance to the design-minded here at the IDS, might have found a better use.\nThese “Get a Ride!” signs and fliers will probably produce as laughably poor results as a “Drinking is bad, so don’t do it!” campaign. As catchy as the fliers are, the lack of substantive changes to the transportation status quo renders the marketing campaign less than worthless. Students have no more options now than they did before this much publicized effort, and money that could’ve been spent improving the system went into a nice ad campaign.\nIn our internationally recognized business school, students are taught how to sell every product and idea under the sun. Maybe that’s what the minds behind “Get a Ride!” are going for, but considering that they have no real concept to sell, they may run into some trouble. All we can offer to say is “Good luck... and, um, hey, can you give us a lift home?