Going out with friends is inevitable in college. Whether one goes to the movies, bowling, dancing or even drinking, friends are always there. 

Wichita State students are encouraged to take the necessary measures to make sure no disasters happen if they do decide to go out and drink and drive, which is why the Student Government Association has a contract with Designated Drivers LLC (DD).

DD’s contract only began this year after the contract with Safe Riders LLC, the former Shocker Safe Ride service, ended due to a termination resolution by the SGA Student Senate found under the direction of former President Matt Onstott.

How it works is if students need a designated driver they call DD and schedule a time and place to be picked up.

SGA President Luis Carbajal said “there hasn’t been any negative feedback” until an incident occurred on Oct. 14.

Jordan Sanders, a spring graduate of WSU, was one of five who called DD that night for a ride from Emerson Biggin’s, a sports bar, to Old Town. 

The group consisted of a WSU student, three WSU alumni and a Fort Hays State alumnus.

Sanders said one of the DD drivers drove his friend’s car with three from the group riding with him and the others riding with the second driver who drove a separate car.

After arriving at the destination, the DD who drove the friend’s car told him the car was locked and handed him the keys.

“We walked to one of the bars, and within 10 minutes of being there we received a phone call from the Wichita Police Department requesting us to come back to the car because they had stopped a (person) suspected of breaking into the [car],” said Sanders.

The police patrolling Old Town had seen a DD driver inside the friends’ car, get out of the vehicle and head into the DD car and drive away.

After the police stopped the car less than a block away, the group was given a phone call.

The owner of the car, Kevin Quinley, a Fort Hays State alumnus, told the police his iPod and iPod cord were allegedly missing and the police found the missing items in the DD’s car.

At least one of the two drivers has been arrested and Carbajal said that the DD company has been cooperating with WSU fully.

The reason WSU has been part of the investigation is because one of the students in the group is a current WSU student, although the actual theft victim is not currently a WSU student.

“Students can use Designated Drivers—really anyone can—but it is only paid for WSU students because it comes out of student fees,” Carbajal said.

Jessica Provines, a psychologist in the Counseling and Testing Center and chair of the Campus Alcohol Advisory Board, released this statement regarding the incident:

“We are aware of the allegations and the owners of Designated Drivers have fully cooperated with the university in investigating the situation and taking appropriate actions against the alleged perpetrator of the theft and we are pretty confident that Designated Drivers is going to deal with the employee appropriately.”

Sanders, on the other hand, said he is a bit weary because the people who students are supposed to be trusting are the same people who took advantage of the situation, as may have been in this case and won’t be known until an investigation is complete.

“Now they know where you live and that you like to go out to the bars on a weekend night, so what’s stopping them from trying to break into those houses later on,” he said. “Many WSU students use the program since WSU has a contract with the company, and now these students safety is at risk due to the same people who (are) supposed to be getting them home safe.”

Carbajal encourages students that know they will not be able to drive themselves home to carpool with friends so that only one car is driven by a designated driver and to not leave any valuables visible.