Drew makes being a commuter harder than it needs to be. Some challenges are expected in being a commuter; for example, dealing with traffic or transit delays, attending extracurricular and social gatherings late in the day and finding a good spot to spend the time in between classes. Some of the issues specific to Drew, however, are particularly frustrating.
This semester, Drew forced every commuter student into a meal plan. This has never been the case before, and many commuters were surprised when we discovered over the summer that each commuter student was given the same $400 meal plan, which translates directly as a declining balance.
Having a meal plan, especially a one-size-fits-all plan, is just not practical for so many commuters. I know some students who are on campus only twice a week, and others who are on campus for class only.
In the past, I never had a commuter meal plan because it did not make sense economically. Divided by week, Drew had demanded we pay $25 per week on their food. This does not even get two dinners at the Commons per week. With the same amount of money, I could — and in past semesters, have — packed myself lunch for every day of the week. This semester, I still need to pack lunch in addition to paying for Drew food.
I am not sure why we do not have the option to preload an individualized amount of money onto a card like in the past, or better yet, the option to pay with real money so that I do not have to do a bunch of math at the end of the semester to make sure I have made use of the money they made me spend for this meal plan.
Speaking of lunch, commuters better plan to primarily eat things cold, because there are currently no microwaves that I can use on campus for free. When Peet’s disappeared, so did its microwave. Having a microwave in Brothers College was super helpful. I would really appreciate it if Drew could get one in Zaro’s, especially because we cannot use the commuter lounge microwave either.
The commuter lounge was damaged as a result of the storm that swept through campus mid-August, and it has been closed since. I understand that repairs can take time; however, I would have really appreciated it if another space was provided in the meantime.
The lounge served many different functions for commuters, so its closing is not something that should be taken lightly. This is a private space for us to go to do homework, eat food, store our stuff in the provided lockers and just relax in between classes. Now, several commuters have shared that they feel they have nowhere to go, especially to be with other commuters, and often would rather just go home, separating them even more from the Drew community.
An anonymous student in the class of 2027 shared their thoughts on the issue of privacy when they said, “Because there currently is no access, I and many other commuters feel that there isn’t really a place to be that isn’t either silent study in the library or the constant noise of the EC and Commons.”
In addition to that, many commuters have shared that they were able to make friends in the lounge and are worried for the new generation of commuters who have not had access to it so far.
Another anonymous student in the class of 2027 said, “Thinking about all the great friendships and memories I made there last year makes me sad knowing the freshmen are missing out on those experiences this year. Especially since these first few weeks of school are vital for meeting people.”
Drew’s guest policy also leaves me feeling pushed further from the Drew community. As a commuter, I found it difficult to make friends and it was easy to feel out of the loop from most of my classmates who all lived a few buildings away from each other. Drew’s guest policy groups commuters with visitors rather than resident students, meaning that students have to fill out a form a day in advance in order to have commuter students in their dorm past 5 p.m.
I understand safety concerns, and I think this rule would make sense if it were to go into effect when quiet hours begin. However, as college students, our day is often still going at 5 p.m., and to expect that students would plan simply hanging out so far in advance is silly.
This policy, in tandem with the absence of a commuter lounge, makes commuter students feel distanced from Drew’s campus community. Each of these complaints are things Drew could fix relatively easily, and I hope that they will take these small steps to ensure an equal campus experience for residents and commuters alike.
Katie Carmichael is a senior majoring in English with a creative writing concentration and minoring in teaching.
