On Wednesday, Nov. 6, a ribbon cutting event was held at the new commuter student lounge located in the old campus bookstore. The event highlighted and appreciated the struggles of commuter students through various speeches, free gifts, and the chance to win prizes.The Center for Student Engagement, Leadership and Orientation (CSELO) led the event with Ophelie Rowe-Allen, vice president of student affairs, being a key speaker.
“For many of our commuter students their time spent on campus can feel fragmented, the daily commute, the rush between classes, and the lack of essential space together can sometimes leave students feeling disconnected from the broader campus community; today that changes,” said Rowe- Allen.
Greg Overend, executive director of CSELO, was very passionate about ways to enhance the commuter experience. He worked with the staff of the university to bring the students’ wants and needs to life.
“It’s something we’ve heard from students over the years that they need a dedicated space, it’s almost like a weight or relief because we’ve been talking about this for six years to finally see this and talk about this for so many years, it’s exciting it helps the experience,” said Overend.
Overend said there have been past discussions with the university about how much space the bookstore consumed and how much it really needed. “We realized that we’ve invested a lot in residence halls and the residents’ staff. We wanted to do what we could for our commuters, because they are students as well,” he said.
To help fund the renovation of the lounge, the university staff members reached out to Darby Brown, the President of the Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA).
“For those who don’t know, last year the USGA legislature passed a motion that granted the use of USGA reserved funds to contribute to the renovations of the book store and our new undergraduate commuter lounge,” said Brown. “Last year I oversaw the passing of this motion, and now I am able to see that vision brought to life this year.”
USGA, a student run group, votes to improve the overall experience for all students on campus. “They recognized our growing commuter population on campus and believed in the importance of having that space where students can build communities. As student leaders we work to create and foster environments to make campus feel like a second home to all including our commuter peers,” said Brown.
Brown and USGA were given praise for their support as well as a plaque outside the new lounge. The commuter student population also had many shoutouts for their contributions to the space.
“Most importantly, thanks to the commuters for speaking up, keeping us on task, making sure that this happened, it’s refreshing. It’ll help us move forward,” said Greg Eichhorn, vice president for enrollment and student success, who also worked on the lounge.
Although this lounge is dedicated to the commuter population, all are welcomed into the space. This lounge is located right outside Maxcy Hall and the Henry Lee School of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, and is attached to the newly renovated bookstore. For more information on other commuter events you can follow CSELO on instagram, or email [email protected].
