One of Lipscomb’s best-kept secrets could be saving students money and providing a helping hand for those without a car on campus.
Parked in a reserved spot in front of the Burton Health Sciences Center is a Nissan Altima part of the Enterprise CarShare.
Seniors Jaime Pawlitschek and Emily Walker are brand ambassadors for the service. They are both in charge of promoting the program and getting new members to sign up.
“[The car share] has been on Lipscomb’s campus for the past four years, but nobody has known about it,” Pawlitschek said. “We only had five members, but since August we’re up to 24 members here.”
The car share requires a one-time application fee of $20, but is available at a discounted price of one dollar until the end of December. After the application fee, an annual membership costs $50, but the price is waived for the first year.
“Once you have a membership, you get a card and that allows you access into the car and then it’s five dollars [an hour] to rent the car,” Pawlitschek said. “The five dollars includes gas and insurance on the car, so if something were to happen, you’re covered.”
The car can be reserved online or through the Enterprise CarShare app on a mobile device.
Senior Amanda Newbold is an international student from the Bahamas. She first heard about the CarShare concept while visiting a friend at a university in Virginia that uses the program.
“I saw that it was a really convenient and cheap way for [my friend in Virginia] to get around, so when I saw the flyers around campus I decided to sign up,” Newbold said. “It’s been really helpful in that I don’t have to worry about asking my friends for a ride all of the time or being awkward in an Uber with groceries.”
Sophomore Hannah Vaughn has also utilized the CarShare service. Vaughn said the service is easy to use and makes her feel independent.
“I didn’t want to constantly be asking to borrow my roommate’s car and it’s sometimes hard to find someone to give you a ride,” Vaughn said. “I think it’s a great, inexpensive way for students to get around Nashville.”
Photo courtesy of Jaime Pawlitschek