To express their love for commuters, the student government members passed out coffee and donuts to commuters while holding signs of appreciation last Monday morning to kick off Commuter Appreciation Week. Other events included a scavenger hunt for gas cards and the elusive parking pass raffle.

Although having an entire week to show commuters students they are appreciated, some commuters still said there is more Siena can do to make their experience at Siena better.

Rachel Cornish, a sophomore volleyball player, spends most of her day and part of the night on campus. She said, “I think there could be a few more rest areas near the classes in the science wing area. The place in the UC is nice, but too far away sometimes.”

Senior football player Reggie Blackmon said, “Personally, I feel as though the lobby (in Ledwidge Hall) and downstairs in the UC are the only two places to go. But maybe if we had a more private place, especially away from the dorms to relax, it would be beneficial.”

Some people may think that being a commuter does not allow the students the same college experience. But most commuters beg to differ.

Junior Hanna Johnson said, “Since I was on campus for the first two years, I made a lot of great friends and connections that I still keep, even being off campus.”

Even though some students do not live on campus, they still attend school events and participate just as much as residents.

Sophomore Michael Birt III said, “I still feel that I get the true college experience. I am also on the lacrosse team, a member of the criminal justice club, and I work for the Department of Public Safety, so I am on campus a lot and still have the same opportunity that residents have when it comes to activities on campus.”

“I would say to anyone that as a commuter that feels they don’t receive the college experience, you just need to branch out, join a club on campus or go to the many events that we have on campus. Just because we commute doesn’t make us any less of a college student,” Birt said.

Another big concern commuter students deal with every day is food. They said the cafeteria can be expensive if they have to pay for a meal or use “flex” dollars. The SHU Shop, the convenience store located in the University Center, is always updating the products it sells, which gives more options for students to purchase snacks on campus. Commuters have the option of purchasing a meal plan that consists of 10 meals, 25 meals, or 40 meals. Blackmon suggested, “…snack machines that accept debit and credit cards would help by classrooms for people with back-to-back classes.”

“I think there should be bigger plans for those who want to grab lunch in between classes and don’t want to leave campus,” said Cornish.

For some commuters, price is what is deterring them from purchasing a meal plan.

“I basically go back and forth from home in between classes and before practice,” Blackmon said. “I believe that the purchasing of a meal plan would be a little much for me personally due to price.”

Birt said the best way to improve the commuter’s experience at Siena is to, “…maybe do a little more commuter appreciation weeks, or have some random days here and there throughout the year.”