The Cove should be reserved for commuters

The Vanguard University Cove has two primary purposes. The first, being to give commuter students a place to hang-out, work and eat. The second, being to provide an additional space for campus events.

In theory, the use of the Cove for both commuters and events is plausible. Campus events are not held every night of the week, and commuters theoretically have plenty of time to spend in the Cove throughout the day, without needing to be there every single night.

But in reality, this does not work out so smoothly. Because campus events almost always require use of the entire Cove, commuter students are frequently pushed out of what should be their space. This not only displaces them, but it also prevents them from having easy access to their lockers and their food, all of which are stored in the Cove.

In the past two months, there have been at least four events held in the Cove, excluding the events held specifically for commuters. Four events may seem like nothing, but when someone is  paying to keep their belongings in a locker, and they are met with a sign that reads “The Cove Will Be Closed From 7-9 PM,” it’s hard to blame them for being a little annoyed.

Yes, commuters do have the option to participate in the events going on in the Cove. In fact, that may even be what Vanguard is encouraging by holding the events there. However, should they be forced to engage in an event just so that they can be at school with a roof over their head that isn’t the library?

I don’t think so.

Commuter students may not be paying Vanguard for a place to spend the night, but they should still be able to spend their evenings on campus without feeling like there is nowhere for them to be. Many commuters actually need the Cove most, once the sun has gone down, because it provides them with a comfortable indoor space to eat dinner and wait out traffic.

It seems illogical, therefore, for Vanguard to hold events in the Cove at all, when the space is constantly being inhabited by commuters.

Under “Event Relation Facilities” on the Vanguard University website, you will find a list of all the places Vanguard considers suitable for social gatherings and meetings. Other than the Cove, there are seven places listed. All of these places offer most, if not all of the same resources the Cove does, which makes using it seem pretty unnecessary.

If social gatherings and meetings were to be held in any one of those rooms instead of the Cove, commuter students could have an actual home at Vanguard. The space that they are currently forced to share could be all theirs, and there would always be a designated place for them on campus.

While the problem may not be large, the solution is simple. Commuters need their own space. And if Vanguard has the opportunity to make school a little more comfortable for commuter students, there should be nothing stopping them from doing so.