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Pepperdine University has received recognition for the aesthetic nature of its grounds, including being ranked as the No. 1 most beautiful campus multiple times by the Princeton Review. But the pitfalls of attending classes nestled in the Malibu mountainside quickly become apparent to any student having to hike up the hills to get to class.
Indeed, Pepperdine’s multi-leveled terrain cries out for the addition of escalators or a ski-lift. Until these dreams become a reality, students are lining up to take advantage of the next best thing, the university shuttle system.
With two routes (an orange line and a blue line) circling the campus in opposite directions, Pepperdine students have enjoyed complimentary transportation to mountaintop meeting spots for years, with a whole fleet of Waves shuttlecraft at their disposal.
One of the intrepid terra-nauts brave enough to navigate the veritable gauntlet of Seaver Drive is Alexander Taite.
Taite is a senior music major who hails from Oakland, Calif. It was during his sophomore year when he first considered taking control of one of the Pepperdine people-movers.
During the annual Bible Lectureships that are held on campus the call went out for additional shuttle drivers. The call was accompanied by a promise to reimburse applicants who took the driving test necessary to attain a California Class B driver’s license that would permit the operation of a commercial transport vehicle.
“I thought that was the perfect way to get this license,” Taite said, who said he has always enjoyed driving. “So I figured, I might as well get paid to do it.”
Taite applied for the driver position, and soon found himself practicing Wave shuttle maneuvers in the vacant Firestone Fieldhouse parking lot.
“It gets easy once you get used to the size of it,” Taite said. “By the time that I got to the driving test, I was real comfortable.”
After the conclusion of the Bible lectures Taite got a call from William Martinez of Transit Services, who let him know that there was a job for Taite if he wanted it.
He’s been piloting shuttles around campus ever since.
“It’s a very comfortable work schedule for me,” he said. “I get to make enough money, and I have enough time to study and to goof off on the weekends.”
Taite is enrolled in 17 units worth of classes this semester and has adjusted his schedule so that he works an average of 10 hours a week. The flexible hours are just one feature that Taite highlights as a perk.
“I have probably one of the easiest bosses on campus,” Taite said, referring to Robert Fortenberry of Transit Services, who spends time driving a shuttle himself. Taite said Fortenberry’s flexible scheduling made him an ideal manager.
While Taite is able to work free of schedule conflicts, it is the sense of community that the job brings that he finds the most rewarding aspect.
“I like this job because of the social aspect,” he said. “Sometimes friends will get on and just take a couple laps with me and talk about life.”
Sometimes this sense of community can mean sharing in each other’s pain.
“Just today, somebody tripped getting on the bus,” Taite said. “It was mildly embarrassing. That was the first time, actually, that anyone’s just fallen over.”
Whether it’s idling in front of the Lovernich apartments or simulating a roller coaster for a busload of little kids (“They loved that, but that’s not allowed in these shuttles.”) Taite said his love for people keeps him in the driver’s seat.
“I love meeting new people, and I love talking to people. I love making new friends, and this is the easiest job that I know of to facilitate that,” he said.
Taite added that Transit Services is always looking for more student workers.
Submitted 09-07-2006
MALIBU, CA
