Graphic design sophomore Ameer Joseph said they chose to be a commuter student to save money.
However, being a commuter has led them to feel “cut off from campus life.” They said their campus involvement is limited outside of the Esports team and events announced by their professors or involve free food.
Graphic design junior Shay Smith, who isn’t involved in many campus activities, expressed similar sentiments.
She said, “I feel very disconnected from campus life even if I’m on campus for most of the day.”
Being a commuter isn’t so bad when there’s a good space to go when you have free time, Smith said.
“The worst part is when we get kicked out because people decided to have a class in a community space,” she said. “ Like, there are multiple places they can go, but they chose the only commuter space.”
Satchmo’s Lounge, which is a space for the Loyola community in the Danna Center basement, is a hub for commuter students and where the Commuter Association office is located.
Ameer said that they utilize the space for online classes or studying whenever it is quiet.
Visual communication sophomore and commuter student assistant Jamilah LeCense recognizes the need for improvement in the lounge.
“[We] need a more comfortable place to go when we’re not at home,” she said.
LeCesne said that her day to day usually involves staying in Satchmo’s and making sure it’s organized, has resources, and events are posted.
Smith, who was unaware there were commuter assistants, said she feels there is a lack of communication between the commuter students and the Commuter Student Association, an organization to help commuter students with the complexities of university life.
LeCesne said that if commuter students do not receive information from the Commuter Student Association that “it is on us to continue to notify them and make sure they know we’re here.”
“Outside of the office, we are assigned clusters of commuter students, and we give them all information that they usually don’t get from anybody who isn’t involved in commuter life,” she said. She added that the Commuter Student Association utilizes email and GroupMe to help inform commuter students about important information concerning commuter life and monthly events.
Smith said that commuter students need more events to be involved in, along with better accommodations regarding meal plans and parking.
Parking is often a problem for commuter students who have to drive to campus every day.
“Parking around campus is so complicated to find if you aren’t paying for a permit to park in the garage,” Smith said. “Personally, if I arrive on campus after 7:30 a.m, I have to park far down on Saint Charles to get good all day parking.” Joseph adds that commuter students should also be taken into consideration when it comes to registration. Commuters should have more priority when it comes to registering for classes due to the need to travel to campus every day, they said.
“Our job may seem small, but it’s bigger than everybody thinks,” LeCense said of commuter assistants.
