When the fall semester begins, various resources on campus are shared with students, whether they are returning or new to Hamline or to college in general. One of the resources that is advertised is the Commuter’s Lounge, located on the lower level of West Hall. The commuter’s lounge offers not only lockers that commuter students can rent to hold their textbooks, but it also offers a place for them to study and wait in between classes in a space that is quieter than the Anderson building. The lounge also has a little nook with a vending machine for drinks and a fridge that is restocked by the Food Resource Center (FRC).
However, despite how the lounge is advertised to students, the Commuters’ Lounge is not much of a resource for students. One of the reasons I believe this is that the lounge offers a space for students to relax between classes and it is connected to two of the downstairs classrooms in West Hall, which is not a significant issue. However, if a commuter chooses to sit in the lounge for a moment of quiet and relaxation, it is hard when the space is shared with others, in terms of classrooms and other students using the space.
While the lounge is not only just for students who commute, it is the only space that is specifically geared toward commuter students, hence the name. However, that does not mean that only commuters can use the space for studying and waiting for their next class.
Another reason that the lounge does not seem like much of a resource for commuters is the fact that the lounge is sort of isolated in a sense. As mentioned earlier, the lounge is on the lower level of the building and can be easily missed unless you are a returning student or have taken a tour of the campus. While the signs do let you know where the lounge is, it is still further away from the general student body, when other resources are in more visible spaces, like the third floor of Anderson.
Now I do understand that while the lounge is not a resource center, but a space, and not much can be done in a small space that shares a location with the New Student Mentors (NSM) and the Military Student Resource Center, along with two classrooms. However, one thing that I hope is taken away from this article is that, in some capacity, there needs to be a better resource for commuter students that is not only a lounge with “commuter” added to it. While I understand that this will be hard when other priorities are higher at the current moment, I still think that there should be a little bit more done in terms of helping the commuters..
