Commuter commotion

The commuter is the forgotten student, assimilated into the student body and disregarded by the administration. However, from my experience, the commuter students also should be held accountable.

Some may say that the needs of commuters on this campus are being ignored, and sometimes I can’t say I disagree. When the school’s idea of a lounge is a few chairs and a microwave under a staircase, the desire for commuters to have their own designated space is ignored.

When there’s snow, sleet and freezing rain on the roads, the school hardly ever delays or cancels class. All the while, the commuters, who drive to campus each day in rush hour traffic, are not considered.

Commuters are issued a green parking sticker, which allows us the most convenient spaces. We have a Commuter Club that has organized lunches and even Super Bowl parties, but hardly anyone attends, despite the massive e-mail list.

Nobody can say that this group is not trying to reach out to commuters.

At the beginning of the semester, I received a Commuter Club flash drive with a “driving Stag” design on it in my campus mailbox. If the Commuter Club is willing to spend money on us, maybe we should commit more time to them. Our school’s treatment of commuters is not perfect, but let’s not ignore the efforts the school has made. Numerous clubs and events are not designed with commuters in mind, yet they have never excluded us either.

Through these clubs and events, I have had no difficulty making friends with students and faculty alike. I have also established relationships by taking advantage of facilities such as the RecPlex. I don’t consider myself the big man on campus, but sometimes all that is required to feel at home on campus is a little extra time to make your presence known.

I can’t speak for every commuter because not every person’s situation is exactly the same, but being a commuter has not stopped me from taking advantage of my college experience – and it never will.

I’m going to do whatever I can to enjoy these four years; the annoyances of gas money, rush hour traffic and a closet for a lounge are but small impediments to my involvement.

Fellow commuters, if it is at all feasible, spend a little more time on campus, build relationships, challenge yourselves and get involved in something. I’d rather be set back a few gallons of gas than be set back four years of happiness.