Cody Wales
Staff Writer
   
   Students can begin riding the Wandering Weevil Wheels bikes on campus Thursday, Oct. 25 thanks to the efforts of student organizations and volunteers.

Photo by Eric Bell

Wandering Weevil - Senior Robert Forrest rides the Journalism Club bike outside of the John F. Gibson University Center during Homecoming week. The bikes debuted during the Homecoming parade.

   The Creative Society, Journalism Club and Lady Knights worked for a year sanding, painting and doing overall mechanical work; with the help of volunteers and sponsors. In all they prepared eight bicycles for campus use.

   “I’m just T-totally thrilled, and so proud of the whole Creative Society and especially Eric Bell, and for our students, because it really was students that did it,” said Gary Marshall, professor of speech communication.

    The bicycles debuted in the Homecoming parade Oct. 11, though the volunteers hoped to have them out by last year’s homecoming.  

   The Wandering Weevils Wheels' name comes from an old UAM show-man football team named the “Wandering Weevils,” a group who performed like the Harlem Globetrotters. Marshall and his wife came up with the idea after hearing about it working in another community.

   “I think it’s just a great thing for campus, and it’s also a test, you know. I have faith in the students, that they are going to respect these things, use them, and you know there may always be one or two, but I think most of are students are good folks,” Marshall said.

Photo by Brittany Pickett

Preparing the Wheels - President of the Creative Society Shannon Stivison paints a bike with her son Adrian during the beginning stages of the Weevil Wheels project..

   Wal-Mart and Auto Zone donated money for the renovation of the recycled bikes. The Monticello Police Dept donated many bikes and the UAM campus police donated two old police bikes. Clay Brown, vice chancellor of Student Affairs, and the Student Activities Board donated money as well as room in Jeter Hall to work on the bikes.  Many students, as well as professors donated their time and energy to work on the bikes.

    Marshall mentioned one student, Eric Bell. Bell spent many hours working on the bicycles.

   “I’ve neglected some of my school work, trying to get these out; it’s become that important to me. I’ve just become obsessed with it, so to speak, this whole semester,” Bell said.

   Bell added, “It makes me feel good to be apart of it. There are so many other people that are involved in this, its amazing the people that contributed, that came out and helped.”

   The bikes are available to everyone for transport or just for a joy ride around campus. Caution should be exercised when riding the Weevil Wheels.

    The guidelines include:

• Ride at your own risk.
• Put them back in a bike rack.
• Ride them on campus.
• Ride with the traffic.
• Pedestrians have the right of way.

   More bikes are available for adoption by campus organizations that want to paint them and take care of them. The bikes can be painted with any design, with the organizations name and with the use of three Weevil green colors. Look for the green bikes on campus and take one for a ride.

    For more information, contact Bell at ebb2203@uamont.edu  or Marshall marshall@uamont.edu.