For many students, heading to the Mark II Lounge, 7436 N. Western Ave., on a Thursday night is a Northwestern rite of passage.
Paying for the trip, however, is a major challenge – with fares at about $15 for a taxi to the bar, nicknamed the Deuce, some students are unwilling to spend the money for the trip, or scoff at the prospect of cramming into a cab with 10 of their closest friends.
A newly organized student business, MyCat Enterprises, wants to take the headache out of Thursday nights with its new venture, the “Deuce Caboose,” a discounted shuttle. For $2 each way, students can hit up the bar without breaking the bank.
“It seemed like a natural idea because we’ve all been there before,” said Weinberg freshman and MyCat team member Alessio Manti. “We all want to go but we don’t. Sometimes you can see the cab drivers pulling up and already pushing the (fare) button six or seven times.”
MyCat Enterprises is a team of 12 students, many of whom are former members of the Associated Student Government. About six to seven members of the team were heavily involved in organizing the shuttle.
Communication freshman Kelsey Kenady, a former ASG member and current MyCat team member, said she and others were frustrated with ASG after working on Medill junior Bill Pulte’s presidential campaign.
“What I was looking for in student government wasn’t what I saw happening,” Kenady said. “We wanted to do something that more directly affects students.”
Kenady said she did not think MyCat was undermining ASG because “we offer different things.”
The Deuce Caboose made its first trip May 7, and Kenady said the inaugural week was “insane.” The buses were filled to capacity, she said. The bar was closed down later that night. According to MyCat organizers, the shuttle saved students $700 on its first night of operation.
Weinberg freshman Sarah Spielberger was among the students who tried out the shuttle. She said she would “definitely” ride the bus again.
“It’s a really good idea because it’s cheaper and more fun to go on a bus with your friends,” she said.
Red Bull is currently offering complimentary Red Bulls to students on their way to the Deuce, organizers said. The energy drink is distributed to sober students and is limited to one per student.
The founders of MyCat Enterprises, who seek to provide services “for students, by students,” said they are not done addressing the student body’s concerns.
Currently MyCat’s only other offering is a laundry service, but it plans to expand in the near future.
Manti said breakfast delivery for early morning classes and paralegal help for University Hearing and Appeals System and Sexual Assault Hearing and Appeals System are in the works.
The Deuce Caboose may extend its services to the weekend and address “how nothing happens on Fridays and Saturdays” by partnering with Greek organizations and other student groups to take NU students to Chicago and other bars, Manti said.
The Deuce Caboose runs every Thursday night, with pick-up locations at Patten Gym and the Arch. Pick-up times from Patten are at 11:45 p.m., 12:30 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. The shuttle returns to the Deuce at 2:00 a.m., 2:30 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.
