Commuters Hunt for Community

A common problem commuters face is how to get involved on campus when they do not live in one of Vanguard’s housing facilities.

“One of the downsides of being a commuter is that you don’t feel as involved in the college life. You come and go, so you don’t get the [college] experience. There are ways to get involved but there will always be people you don’t know because you aren’t here all the time,” freshman commuter Arriel Martel said.

Commuter Representatives Jillian Deas and Andrew Ramirez are working hard to fix this drawback.

“We have already done a few events such as the Commuter Tail-gate Barbecue, and we have started a Commuter Focus Group, which has had a great response. In the focus group, commuters tell us a little bit about what they want and what their needs are,” Deas said.

It is all too easy to forget that the commuter population is constantly growing. There are currently 479 commuter students attending VU.

Deas gave advice to the commuter students looking to get involved on campus.

“The best way for commuters to get involved at Vanguard is to meet people. The best way to do that is to go to the events,” Deas said.

Events on the calendar for commuters are commuter morning chapels Oct. 26-28, and commuter lunches sometime during upcoming weeks (dates and times TBA) where commuters can fellowship at a general spot for lunch and get to know each other.

There is a movie night in Irvine on Nov. 19, and possibly having a Mr. Commuter in the Mr. VU contest. Commuter T-shirts are also available in the Bridge for $12, to represent sort of a “commuter club”.

Deas and Ramirez are also encouraging commuters to go to all-school events, such as the Harvest party and the Christmas party, by making specific activities and tables at those events dedicated to commuters.

Senior Brandon Muchow has been commuting since he first started attending Vanguard.

“A positive of commuting is that I get to spend more time with my family,” Muchow said.

Since coming to Vanguard, Muchow has found many ways to get connected with student life, one of which is being a worship leader for chapel.

Commuters are a huge part of the Vanguard family and it is important to include them. SGA is making many advances toward creating unity among its students on or off campus.

A goal that Deas and Ramirez are encouraging is to make the commuters feel more a part of the school. Vanguard has many ways for commuters, and all students, to get involved.

Whether you travel here by bus or wish you could have the chance to leave once in a while, to get more information on upcoming events and ways to get involved check the Vanguard website for opportunities or visit the Bridge under Huntington hall.