Commuter students seek connection with school

By Lori Jensen

Edmund Yue learned how to make friends at Santa Clara the hard way. Building relationships on campus as a commuter student wasn't easy.

"When I first came as a freshman, I was a recluse," said Yue. "I just went to class and went straight to the library. So I made no friends."

One of the difficulties for most commuter students is making friends without living on campus. In a random survey of 20 commuters, 16 stated that they struggle to feel a part of the student body and have difficulties keeping up to date with school news. However, none of the 20 knew of any program or service that Santa Clara provides socially for commuter students.

That's because there isn't any. Whereas resident students have support from the Residence Hall Association, Community Facilitators and fellow dorm residents, there is no administrator or chartered organization that supports commuter students specifically, thus leaving them to get involved on their own initiative or face isolation from the on-campus community.

While acknowledging that commuter students have social needs different from on-campus and off-campus students in local housing, Dean of Student Life Jeanne Rosenberger believes that separate resources for commuter students are not necessary.

"I don't think we should define where somebody goes to sleep as a characteristic to separate or to differentiate students," she said. "I think the question is, 'Do they feel the same degree of comfort on campus as those who actually live here?'"

Rosenberger states that all students are encouraged to get involved in the many activities on campus. There are 76 student organizations, at least one for every major, cultural, social, service, religious and recreational group. Additional resources are usage of lockers to store books in the Benson Center and various places on campus for students to hang out, such as Shapell Lounge, the Bronco and downstairs Benson. There is also the Residential Learning Community (RLC) program that every freshman commuter is required to be a part of, allowing students with similar interests to participate in events, lectures, field trips and take classes together.

However, many commuter students said that the current programs and activities are insufficient and problematic.

"The university tries to pull the commuter students in and mesh them into the RLCs," said Aaron Juarez, a junior commuter student. "I really can't see that working too well just because how commuter students come in at a disadvantage. They don't live in the residence halls, so it's difficult for them to get into those social circles."

Renee Lobach, a senior commuter student, agrees that the very nature of being a commuter student puts her at odds with the on-campus community. "People at this school have very tight knit groups of friends and they usually all live on-campus, so they aren't generally open to making new friends," she said.

Commuters are also expected to adapt to the conditions of the on-campus community. Whereas students who live in the dorms or near campus can go back to their rooms between classes, many commuter students head to the computer labs, Benson Center or even their own cars to do schoolwork or take a nap. Since many on-campus events take place in the evening, some commuters look at this as an inconvenience.

"I know there are events and other things I am sure I could go to, but sometimes it really comes down to how tired I am and if I really feel like driving back to school where the event will most likely be," said Nicole Adamski, a junior commuter student.

The absence of specific resources for commuter students also implies a lack of interest in them, causing them to feel more isolated.

"If there were a large organization devoted to their needs and issues, this would allow all off-campus students to feel integrated on campus," said Renee Morrell, who created the Commuter Student Body (CSB), a student-run club whose members meet occasionally for events such as broomballing, picnics and movie nights.

After noticing a lack of services for commuters during Freshmen Welcome Weekend in 1999, Morrell had contacted the student body president who helped her with the logistics of starting the club.

Through word-of-mouth and school-wide emails, about 300 commuter students requested to be put on the club's email list so they would be informed about CSB events. About 50 on the list are active participants in the club's activities.

However, Mary Mac Lellan, the treasurer of CSB, believes that CSB does not provide enough for commuter students. Since the university does not provide a contact list for commuters, CSB events are currently only advertised through email and word-of-mouth to known commuters. "Most probably don't know about our existence, despite our continuous efforts to get the word out," said Mac Lellan.

Jennifer Acosta, assistant dean of Student Life, concurs that many commuter students are not aware of the events and programs available on campus. "What really gets students' attention is word-of-mouth obviously and that word-of-mouth and kind of verbal excitement happens in the residence halls among residents, so that's where commuter students come at a disadvantage," said Acosta.

Yet despite the circumstances, many commuter students like Yue realize that they must make use of what is available to them.

"You can't necessarily hold the university completely responsible just because commuters can only be so motivated," said Juarez. "They have to take that responsibility to get involved, take a risk and go above and beyond what's already provided for them to try to make more friends."