Cortnie Cummings - Cottage 1 has been newly transformed into a commuter lounge for students to use. The lounge for commuters was the senior gift from the class of 2012.
While living on campus seems to be the ideal way to have the college experience, many students are finding it hard to financially move out of their homes, forcing them to find other ways to stay involved on campus.
“Missing out on the social networking, being around people and missing what is going on is the hardest part of being a commuter,” said Jessica Nua-mi, junior international health care major.
Although some com-muter students actively choose to live off campus, some wish they were on campus, but do not have that luxury.
“My mom is a single parent, (and) she has to support me so I am not able to live on campus,” said Carla Fernandez, freshman nursing major.
A freshman mechanical engineering major, Joseph Guadarrama, said he could not live on campus due to financial aid issues, yet wanted to find more ways to get involved.
Guadarrama said that “resident assistants plan for their residents, not commuters.”
There are numerous events for students who live on campus, allowing them to interact with one another, stay involved and make friends.
Commuter students find other ways to get involved on campus, such as participating in intramural sports, clubs and small groups.
One of the highlights for commuter students this year is the recently built commuter lounge located in The Cottages. Not only does it allow for students to get away to relax, it provides a place that they can feel is theirs.
The commuter lounge had its grand opening on Sept. 13 and is now open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“Everyone on campus has his or her own niche, but for a commuter you have everything constantly with you, and it’s your own place on campus, a place where you belong,” Fernandez said.
The commuter lounge houses a flat-screen TV, leather couches, a renovated kitchen, a study room, a computer room, two walk-in bathrooms, vending ma-chines for food and drinks, lockers and a constant flow of air conditioning.
While the lounge provides a place for commuters to gather and hang out, it also is a place in which they can go to focus and study, said Kayla Falsetti, junior Christian studies major.
“I utilize it as a place to get away and study, not socialize. I can meet people, but this is a chance to focus,” Falsetti said.
Kayla Bernardino, sen-ior health education major and mother, said, “Since I have large breaks, it allows for my daughter to crawl around or take a nap. It’s stable.”
Only commuters are allowed to access the lounge, which makes them appreciate it more. Getting access for the lounge is simple and can be done through the Associated Students of California Baptist University office in the Yeager Center.
Being a commuter on campus isn’t quite the easiest but CBU provides ample opportunities to get involved.
