By Reanna Fogelman
TAMPA, Fla. — Spotted within their infamous golf carts, the LASER (Law Abiding Students Ever Ready) Team is a student-led transportation service at The University of Tampa that provides students with rides across campus during the school year. These rides can assist with injury, disability, or weather inconvenience.
Students are escorted to their desired on-campus location upon request. Additionally, the escort service is on a motorized patrol and provides support to pedestrians who are traveling alone on campus at night.
The Department of Campus Safety at UTampa is committed to giving the campus community a safe and secure environment through encompassing safety precautions. Round-the-clock patrols, emergency response services, and safety awareness campaigns all over campus are ways Campus Safety at UTampa guarantees protection for all students.
Drake Collins, junior entrepreneurship and sales major, has been working with the LASER Team since Oct. 2024.
“I got involved by applying online and somehow getting picked out of the applicants,” said Collins. “This job is fun. I’ve also made lots of friends while being a part of the team for such a short time.”
He states that he loves being a part of this dedicated team.
“I get to get paid to drive the golf cart around campus and meet new people,” said Collins.
“Some cool stuff about [the] LASER Team is having strangers become regulars and then you hear about their life stories within a 2 minute golf cart ride,” he said.
A humorous story that Collins shares is when some students ask him to bring them over to the building next door.
“I had a group of guys that lived in Brevard [Hall] ask me to bring them over to Vaughn [Center], which is right next door,” said Collins. “I was confused because Vaughn is super close.”
He has also had memories of practically flying through the rain on a stormy night to get the students to where they had to go.
“I’ve also had calls with some people asking me to come get them at the opposite end of campus, where Cass [Communication Building] is, to grab them and bring them all the way over to Plant Hall,” said Collins. “And keep in mind, it was raining pretty hard because Florida gets those rain squalls where it rains super hard for a few minutes and stops, but I would be heading over there as fast as I can and almost get into an accident.”
Collins describes that particular moment as “dangerous,” but still views it as an experience he got to have.
“Our supervisor definitely pushes us to be the best but be flexible in those hard times,” said Collins.
He looks up to his supervisor, Ethan Lucas, who has been a part of the LASER Team since 2020.
Collin said, “Lucas has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to excellence. His understanding and expertise within work make him such a caring person. Lucas also has a strong ability to deal with lots of complex problems under pressure.”
This is something Collins deeply admires, as Lucas is also a very approachable person.
“He takes the time to explain difficult concepts to new team members, ensuring they feel supported and confident in their roles,” said Collins.
Campus Safety collaborates with local law enforcement, professors, and students to guarantee a proactive approach to risk management and crime prevention, promoting a campus culture that places a high value on safety and well-being.
Downloading the new Spartan SOS app from Google Play or the Apple App Store is a way to have immediate access to Campus Safety and the LASER Team in the event of an emergency on campus or to rapidly connect to other services. The LASER team can also be reached at 813-257-4515 if anyone ever needs a ride across campus.
–Photo courtesy of @utlaserteam on Instagram