Sophomore Tina Cordova is finished with her classes.

She packs up her bag, leaves Bobet Hall and heads toward her 1989 brown Blazer parked in the Freret Street Garage.

Once there, she throws her books in the back seat, starts the car, and drives to her apartment 10 blocks away.

Cordova, like so many others at Loyola, is a commuter. And, also like many of those people, she lived on campus last year.

For many reasons, an abundance of students this year decided to make the trip to Loyola each morning despite the convenience of campus housing.

Many upperclassmen were not offered spots in the New Residence Hall.

When looking at the prospect of living in the less popular Cabra Hall on the Broadway campus, these students decided to become commuters, despite Cabra’s lenient visitation rules and easily accessible location.

“Why would I live in Cabra if I can get my own place?” Cordova said. “In my apartment I have a bigger space and my own kitchen for much cheaper than the price I would be charged to live in Cabra. I have two roommates instead of seven. And, I still have 24-hour visitation.”

Sophomore Mary Lanaux also was drawn into commuting as a result of not being offered housing in the new hall.

She says that she enjoys the change from living on campus in Buddig Hall as a freshman.

Like many, she likes the independence that living in her own apartment gives her.

“I like playing house and being self-sufficient. Even though I have more rooms to clean now, it’s completely worth it,” Lanaux said.

Students also say that after having nowhere to keep visitors in cramped dorm rooms (especially during Mardi Gras when visitation rules are strict) they needed more space for the upcoming years.

“I want my friends to be able to stay with me here during Mardi Gras,” said Cordova.

“Why should I pay $50 to the school to let me have them visit? Now, they can come for the celebration, and I have a couch for them to crash on.”

Relaxation is another reason students choose to move off campus. The dorms are hotspots for social activity, and many wanted to escape to a place that was away from campus so that they would have a quiet place to study and sleep.

After being a resident assistant in Biever Hall last year, Beth Robinson admitted that she was ready to get away.

“I was ready for a change,” she said. “Yesterday morning, I woke up to Saturday morning cartoons, just like at home. How often does that happen in the dorms?” Although most students who live off campus enjoy their experience, there are some issues in making that transition.

They often miss having the C-Store, Underground, library and laundry room footsteps away.

“I have to drive to school every morning. If I want to visit a friend, I can’t just go across the hall,”Cordova said. “It’s hard to get used to. As much as I complained about it last year, I miss not having a washer and dryer nearby. Now, instead of taking my clothes down a flight of steps, I have to haul them down the street to the laundromat.”

An inconvenient off-campus life is, however, students recognize the added responsibilities they are undertaking by having a place of their own.

“I realize now how easy I had it last year,” said Lanaux. “My rent isn’t covered by my total tuition. If I forget to pay the electric or the water bill, my roommates and I don’t have that resource anymore. I have to buy my own toilet paper. There isn’t an Internet connection in my place because it is so old, and I never realized that it costs so much to get one installed. Basically, living alone takes a lot of balancing of funds and growing up.”

Tina Cordova is home now. She pulls up past her blue two-story apartment house and angles into a small parallel parking spot a block away.

After walking back to the apartment, she stops and looks at the building’s chipping paint and garbage can-strewn front lawn.

Shrugging her shoulders, she walks up to the porch steps.

“At least I don’t have to eat OR food anymore,” she says.

(Gillian Dicker )