The Talon staff sat down with Nash Scott, chair of Oklahoma Christian University’s Campus Improvements Committee for the Student Government Association, to discuss the return of scooters on campus and other upcoming changes.
What was your initial inspiration in bringing Bird scooters on campus?
“It was actually an idea given to me. The whole point was for international students. Bird, a long time ago, wanted to get the Edmond market, but OKC hated Bird, but they thought they were going to get Edmond. We pulled the trigger and let Bird come here. That way, international students and our students could go anywhere on the streets in Edmond. But Bird got kicked out of Oklahoma, basically. So, we’re dropping our contract with Bird, which was easy. It was a really simple contract. We’re going to allow Lime to come here, because they’re all over Edmond and OKC now.”
Why did Bird leave?
“They left OKC, because OKC didn’t like their business tactic, which is kind of funny. They’re birds, right? So they go wherever they please, because birds can land wherever they want. It’s kind of a funny business tactic, but OKC really didn’t like that.
Lime connected with OKC before coming to OKC. Edmond follows OKC all the time in whatever they do, so that’s how Bird decided to leave. They couldn’t really afford to be here anymore.”
What kinds of conversations have you had with Lime? When are they planning on coming to campus?
“We’re supposed to meet later this week. It would just be their spiel about how they would be able to help OC. We had a scooter company just leave us, so we’re going to be a little bit more wary. We’ll talk about how it will benefit OC and the logistics of coming here. That should be pretty simple, since they already have operations in OKC.”
Will the scooters cost anything to the university?
“No. Students have to pay to ride the scooter, but it won’t cost the university anything.”
Are there any differences between Lime and Bird?
“Not really. The apps use different payment plans. Bird made you put $10 in the app, and then you could jump on and go. This one just charges you for whatever you ride. Everyone says Limes are faster, but I really don’t know.”
Has student reaction to the scooters coming and going been more or less what you’ve expected?
“I haven’t gotten much reaction about them leaving. But coming, it was just a mixed bag. Loads of people were like, ‘Yeah, I love it,’ and loads of people were like, ‘Eh, I hate scooters.’ A little bit of both.”
What other improvements can students look forward to this year?
“We want to try to fix some sidewalks, if possible. One idea for the Brew is to replace two windows so we can let air in. We want to get a community mural on campus. OKC has a large mural community, so you can go all around OKC and see these really cool murals. One way to get branding for OC and get people to come to campus is to add a mural. With the logistics of that, we don’t want to ruin the aesthetic of OC, because a lot of people do care about our aesthetic. It would be wherever the school would see fit, and it would hopefully be something students could participate in.
I want to get the recycling program more efficient. It’s not very good right now. I want to help international students have a better way to get to the grocery store. It’s really just random students taking them. I personally don’t see it as the safest thing to go into a car with someone you don’t know, even if it’s a really nice. I’m trying to think of a better way to get them to grocery stores or wherever they want to go.”
How do you feel about being known as the “scooter guy”?
“I don’t care. I guess it’s kind of funny. It is what it is. I ride a bike now.”
Do you feel like it’s important for OC to have some form of alternative transportation besides driving and walking?
“Walking is totally fine. I encourage walking. The point of Bird was to get people out of their cars and stop putting carbon emissions into the air. The environment is kind of hot right now. It was to help a little bit and do a little bit of good for the environment.
It is a fun thing to do. Another big reason why I picked it is because incoming students like small things. I love OC, but we’re not a huge eye-catcher. The thing that sells OC is those tiny things, things that all build up to make it feel like one big, awesome thing. That happened to me. If we have all these pretty cool small things, it helps OC appeal to students.”
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