If students happen to get stuck in a snow bank or lock their keys in their cars, a program on campus called the Motorist Assist Program (MAP) can help with these inconvenient mishaps.
The program started at the beginning of the 2007 fall semester in collaboration with ASNMU and Public Safety, said Sgt. Ken Love.
MAP was started because of the popularity of similar programs at other universities. The program has helped free some of Public Safety officers’ time for other duties. If officers were tied up with calls and a student called needing help with his/her car it could be awhile before Public Safety officers could get to them, Love said.
“MAP is dedicated to the campus community. [They have] a pretty quick response compared to what an officer might have been able to do,” he said.
MAP can provide a variety of different services to NMU students, including lockouts, jumpstarts, escorts, assistance in changing tires or car batteries, helping students push or dig their cars out of the snow or providing assistance if they run out of gas, said John Lakowicz, a junior environmental science major and driver for MAP.
“[Students] can save their money and call us,” he said.
“While driving around I’ve seen tow truck companies come by to unlock cars and our [program] is just funded through the school.”
In an average month, MAP unlocks about 40 cars, does 25 jumpstarts, 12 escorts and 10 miscellaneous services, Love said.
MAP is available to help students Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to midnight, Lakowicz said.
Garret Francis, a junior political science major, said he used MAP when his car battery died at the beginning of this semester and found it to be very useful.
“They were very helpful. They came and hooked their vehicle up to mine, made sure it started, made me fill out a little paperwork and that was it,” Francis said.
As far as advertising goes, most of what MAP does is drive around and make sure people are aware of the service, Lakowicz said. A lot of students aren’t aware of what MAP is on campus for.
“We’re not here to get people in trouble, a lot of people think we’re like Public Safety, but we’re here to help them out,” he added.
Francis also added that with the amount of people on campus who have car trouble it’s a program that’s definitely worthwhile.
“It’s just a really great program for students; it doesn’t cost you anything,” he said.
