Nikki Elibero/The Mirror
Freshmen and sophomores at Fairfield University dream of the day that will bring them their turn at having a car on campus. While they patiently wait for the day, Fairfield has teamed up with Hertz Rental car to form Connect by Hertz, which is available to all students.
Michael Tortora, Executive Assistant to the Vice President and Business Manager for Administrative and Student Affairs, said the program that started in September’09 “now stands at 271 members.” However, that still leaves nearly three thousand undergraduates who haven’t utilized Connect by Hertz.
When asked about the program Spencer Colpitta ‘14 was not enthused about the program and said, “It’s just a car service that lets people get off campus.” What could be contributing to the program’s lack of popularity among students is that students don’t know what it is. “I know they’ve put it on the FUSA things once in a while, but I don’t think it’s publicized enough,” said Colpitta.
Gabrielle Bellavance ‘14, a supporter of the program expresses her interest in accessing a car. “During the week, the shuttle doesn’t go to the mall. I’d rent a car if I needed to go to the mall or someplace the shuttle doesn’t normally go to,” she says.
Bellavance also points out that the shuttle stops running after 7:00 p.m. It’s clear that there’s a need for another means of transportation, but students still don’t seem to utilize the Hertz rental program. Besides not being publicized enough, is there another reason why more students haven’t become members?
According to Connect by Hertz’s URL, https://www.connectbyhertz.com, there are six easy steps to follow in order to rent a car. However Gary Davies’14, claims it isn’t that simple. He and his mom explored the website, and at the end of the day, “we couldn’t figure it out. We even called them, and I’m still unclear about how to rent a car,” he says.
The students have spoken, Connect by Hertz hasn’t effectively advertised itself and is therefore uneasy for the Fairfield University community to access.
In terms of Connect by Hertz’s website, joining the program is somewhat time consuming and confusing, but once you set up your account, six easy steps are all it takes to rent a car.
Next time you see a Mini Cooper drive by the Kelly Center, don’t assume an upperclassman is driving it, it could be a freshman who has joined Connect by Hertz.
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