Most weekends, hundreds of Mississippi State University students head out to area bars and restaurants to celebrate the end of the week. 
During the fall, several weekends are dominated by football games. After games the Cotton District becomes a lively center for socializing, fun and partying. For students who choose to drink, the ability to get home safely at the end of the night is a top concern. While some students will volunteer to be designated drivers, many students might find themselves without a safe, guaranteed and cheap alternative for getting home. 
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), nearly 1,900 students die each year in alcohol related incidents. The highest contributor to this number is motor-vehicle accidents. Due to this alarming statistic, the MSU Student Association, beginning in 2014, sought out options that might assist in keeping MSU students safe when they head out on Friday and Saturday nights. 
Cowbell Cabs is an initiative started by former SA President Brett Harris in spring of 2014. Working with then-future SA Presidents JoJo Dodd and Roxanne Raven, a plan was drafted to implement a cab system around the Starkville area during the weekends. The goal was to introduce a safe alternative to students who might drive while under the influence, while still allowing for an efficient manner for students to be transported around Starkville on weekend evenings. 
The program has seen immense success since its implementation. SA President Roxanne Raven, senior political science major from Okemos, Michigan, is happy to see students using the Cowbell Cabs program. 
“Cowbell Cabs has been very successful. Since the program has started in fall 2014, ridership has increased by roughly 500 people each semester with spring of 2016 reaching just under 2,000 riders,” Raven said. 
Sagar Shetty, a resident advisor with the MSU Housing Department, and a junior business administration major from Mumbai, India, admires the program. Although he has never used Cowbell Cabs himself, as an RA in charge of Cresswell Hall, he sees the benefit that such a program has for the students in the residence hall. 
“I believe such a program offers a safe service for college students that need rides when they go out, [so as] to have a safe alternative to getting home,” Shetty said. 
Shetty especially sees the value of the program for freshmen, who he feels are especially vulnerable to driving under the influence.
“I think it’s an excellent idea,” Shetty said. “Especially with freshmen, that would definitely assist in reducing the risk of getting behind the wheel. [It’s] not just putting yourself at risk, it’s putting others at risk. So a program like this goes a long way in ensuring safety on the road.”
 
Both Raven and Shetty would like to see the program grow further. 
Raven is hoping to see the program expand to include Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. during the spring semester. Shetty, as an international student, would like to see the program expand to full-time service during the day, providing transportation for students who might not own their own vehicle. 
Cowbell Cabs runs Fridays and Saturdays between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m., and operates as many as 4 vehicles nightly. The free service can be used by any student, and allows for one non-MSU guest per MSU passenger. The service can be reached by calling (662) 813-0084, and will pick up a student from any business and drop them off safely at their residence.