SLU On the Move is an urbanist advocacy club that emphasizes the importance of public transit and advocates for making St. Louis as pedestrian-friendly as possible.
Caleb Yatchak, a senior finance and business technology management student and SLU On the Move’s co-president, said the goals of the club were, “Instilling a care for the city and experiencing everything St. Louis has to offer while also experiencing its deficiencies for pedestrians.”
SLU On the Move works toward these goals by hosting and attending advocacy-related events such as riding public transportation, going on bike rides and collaborating with local organizations like the STL Urbanists, Access STL and more. Yatchak emphasized their mission and said that club members typically go on rides at least once or twice a week, depending on interest.
“People think we’re just a bike club, but we’re not just a bike club,” Yatchak said. “I think the biggest thing is making it less intimidating for students to break out of the SLU bubble, get out of their comfort zone, and get involved politically at a local level and also see St. Louis in ways they haven’t seen.”
To connect with the local community through efforts of solidarity and advocacy, SLU On the Move co-sponsored a memorial ride with other local organizations on Jan. 31. They rode to mourn Alex Pretti, a man recently killed by federal immigration authorities, and to protest attacks on immigrants and protesters as a part of a national unity ride.
SLU On the Move’s advocacy also extends to encouraging a more efficient public transit system. People often feel a sense of intimidation associated with public transit, which sometimes leads them to avoid it. Yatchak said the club desires urban transit improvement and hopes to break down this stigma.
“Not just better public transit and bike lanes here or there, but everywhere,” Yatchak said. “Creating a sustainable and equitable infrastructure.”
Noa Vacek, a sophomore political science student and SLU On the Move’s marketing director, said their organization works to align their mission with that of the university.
“[It’s] all about being good to your neighbors, being part of the community, getting out and being with people; I think we try to embody that through the events that we do,” Vacek said.
The foundation of their mission and efforts is a desire to get SLU students out of the campus bubble and into the broader city. This can be challenging for those who don’t know how to ride a bike or do not have access to a bike. SLU On the Move addresses these difficulties by both teaching people to ride and offering a bike-share program.
This bike-share program allows students to borrow bikes for the day to explore the city or join club rides. The bike-share was started after a traveler who was visiting St. Louis joined a SLU On the Move ride and ended up donating their bike to the club. This eventually led to the discovery that DPS had accumulated many old abandoned bikes over the years that they were willing to give to SLU On the Move as well.
With the help of Last Stop Bike Shop, the club was able to get the bikes fixed up and ready for use. These acts proved not only to be environmentally sustainable, but also liberating for students on campus who didn’t have access to transportation previously.
The club’s online demographic is heavily split between SLU students and St. Louis community members, which helps get people involved and connected to both local organizations and people from different places.
For more information on SLU On the Move and their upcoming events, check out @sluonthemove on Instagram.
