First Commuter Appreciation Week
Commuter Appreciation Week was March 18-22, and different activities were held every day for commuter students to enjoy.
In past years, the Office of Commuter Life held Commuter Appreciation Day, but this year is the first time a whole week was dedicated to commuter students.
“Our main goal behind these events is for our commuter student population to know that we love them,” Madison Smith, assistant director of commuter engagement for Commuter Life, said. “Our sole purpose at Commuter Life is to make them feel welcome, loved and seen, not just by us, but by Jesus as well.”
On Monday, Commuter Appreciation Week kicked off with a bingo night in the LaHaye Event Space at 5 p.m. Over the course of the night, pizza was served and 10 games of bingo were played with prizes for the winners.
A Fiesta Pop-Up was held on Tuesday in the Commuter Lounge starting at 11 a.m. The lounge was filled with fun decorations. Commuter students enjoyed chips and salsa from La Carreta while getting to know other commuter students.
“I do not go on campus a lot, so it is nice to have a spot to hang out,” Emgen James, a senior, said about the Commuter Lounge.
On Wednesday, commuter students were invited to free bowling in the Montview Bowling Alley. All the lanes were opened for students to play games and meet new people. In addition, nachos and cheese were provided for commuters to enjoy.
Wednesday in the Commuter Lounge at 5 p.m., game night was held with food from Buffalo Wild Wings. Students could play games of all kinds including, card games, board games and video games on a Nintendo Switch.
Lastly, on Friday, Commuter Life held “The Main Event” in the new multipurpose center starting at 10 a.m. The event included inflatables, lawn games and food from Chick-fil-A.
Many students enjoyed the free food that was provided at the events.
“I love coming with friends for free food,” Bella Calve, a senior, said.
In addition to all of the activities, giveaways and free food, Commuter Life also raffled off a grand prize. On Monday, students received a punch card. If students came to every event that week and got their card punched, they were entered to win the grand prize. The prize package included a Ninja Foodi, a Keurig with K-cups and mugs and a $50 Kroger gift card.
“We want to be intentional about celebrating our commuter students and making them feel like they are part of campus,” Smith said.
Twitchell is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion