Erin Yandell
Staff Writer
The next and final addition to this two-part series that spotlights two Spartan Chariot Drivers focuses on Wayne Moser, a long-time employee of UNC Greensboro who has witnessed considerable changes to the university over four decades.
As stated in the previous article, during my time at UNC Greensboro, I’ve noticed the university staff and all the hard work they put in and how it contributes to our community of inclusion and encouragement. Wayne Moser is one of those people that makes a difference in students’ lives and aims to provide a supportive and encouraging environment.
In 1976, Moser began his career at UNC Greensboro. He had a passion for baseball that spurred his dream of either becoming a baseball coach or sports broadcaster, but due to life circumstances, he chose to work at the university instead.
Moser’s first position with UNC Greensboro was with Spartan Mail. He described in detail the immense changes that have occurred over the years especially with the emergence of technology. He explained that all university communication, including class registration, was once through the post office. We take for granted that all class registration is facilitated through UNCGenie, but the process used to be more taxing and hands-on. Every student’s registration had to be manually filled and picked up by each student, they then returned to their mailbox for processing. Every piece of mail was processed through the office, especially since email was not available at that time, so Wayne estimated they were dealing with 11 to 12 pallets of mail every day.
After many years in the post office, Moser transferred to a position in the cashier’s office where he was able to observe the variety of university changes over the years. Eventually in 2013, he started driving for the Spartan Chariot system.
Around his arrival to the Chariot system, the Spartan Village Express was just starting to be integrated into the bus routes. He explained how the route has changed in response to student needs and complaints from neighboring houses that border the university. It is no surprise that the expansion, Phase 1 and 2 of Spartan Village, has caused some community issues and change that has remodeled the layout of campus. He even mentioned that the baseball field, the Walker parking deck and other campus buildings have only been added semi-recently, changing the campus logistics, especially bus routes.
Moser spent some time explaining the original route for the Spartan Express, which included a stop at the Kaplan Center and surprisingly excluded the Walker Circle. However, due to safety concerns, the Kaplan stop was removed, which is one of the observations that Wayne has made about the tricky process of campus expansion and how the logistics have had a major change on campus life.
One thing he was particularly keen on discussing was more allotted space especially around the Glenwood shops for parking, loading docks and bus stops. He expressed his concern for not only the safety of students but for Greenboro citizens as well. Another notable change he discussed was removing the route that goes straight to the Lexington/Union stop due to citizen complaints. Therefore, the express route cuts through the parking lot next to Kaplan which can be problematic in terms of space and student safety.
Moser also took some time to describe some of the changes he’s seen in the transportation system in conjunction with significant university advancements. First, as mentioned before, the Spartan Express only had three stops while running only five hours a day. Originally, the drivers would have to track riders with a paper chart in order to analyze and reformat their system in response to the amount of riders at certain times for a more efficient route. This then changed to an automatic counter at the doors which corresponds to the Spartan Chariot Tracking app. He then discussed the changes during the pandemic. He noted that they would drive several loops without any passengers. Now, he’s observed the small changes after COVID and the return of the student population on campus. His position as a Spartan Chariot driver has allowed him to view the university from this unique perspective.
Moser thoroughly enjoys the work environment, especially connecting with students. He aims to create a positive atmosphere on his bus through open communication and consideration of the students’ well-being. He informs students of any delays and issues that might arise on the route. From personal experience, he keeps track of the semester schedule, motivating students through their classes and encouraging them during the finals season.
In regards to the work environment between other drivers, he notes that you definitely get closer to the drivers that work around the same time or the same route but he makes the effort to connect with other drivers even though there is a limited overlap between schedules. Another aspect is the radio system which is essential to driver communication. This system allows for the drivers to inform each other of wrecks, traffic patterns and other issues that might affect other drivers. This is an excellent example of the sense of community found throughout the university.
Through my interview with Moser, I got to know a very observant person who is deeply involved with campus life. His perspective is extremely unique due to his long-time presence at UNC Greensboro. He was present for a multitude of changes and expansions of the university in a variety of positions, allowing him to share a comprehensive view of UNCG’s history and future. It was a pleasure to interview him, and he enlightened me with university knowledge and a history that I was not aware of before even after spending four years here. This promotes the idea that experience and perspective is crucial in understanding and evaluating our university as well as society as a whole. Moser is a great representation of UNCG’s mission of community and service.
THE CAROLINIAN 
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