Augsburg College - Augsburgian Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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that the commuter is at a disadvantage as far as par- ticipation goes. Some commuters, however, are rather indifferent about the whole thing, and yet others feel they are missing out on something. Many students prefer commuting especially because it helps financially. Jane Friendshuh. who has com- muted previously and is now a resident student, claims it's a good experience to both commute and to live at school. She feels that commuting not only helps financially, but one is able to keep home contacts, be- come more familiar with the city, and meet a lot of new people. Nancy Sandve also cites the advantages of commuting: At first I would have wanted to live on campus, but not now because I've realized the advan- tages. If I lived at school I wouldn't ever be able to get away from the school atmosphere. My purpose in com- muting to Augsburg was to go to a small private col- lege so that I could live at home and get a better educa- tion. I gain more out of a small school setting. On the other hand, the majority of residents enjoy living at the college and would never want to commute. The commuting student and the residing student share much of the same world at Augsburg, yet they live in seperate worlds. When they merge socially or otherwise how do they relate to each other? The follow- ing is a part of a discussion in which commuters and residents openly discuss the relationship between the two groups. Resident: People throughout the dorm think that both commuters and residents are at a loss. A lot of residents who are exposed only to certain peo- ple on their floor have no opportunity to meet commuters, who generally go home right after classes. In that respect there's no relationship be- tween commutersand residents: they're in two dif- ferent worlds. Residents are exposed to just the people on their immediate floors and therefore are missing out on potential friends in the com- muter segment. Commuter: Commuters should make a special effort to get over to the college for things other than classes. Usually he just goes to class, gets the academic bit over with, and then goes home. Resident: The only way to get to know commuters is to sit around in the Lounge or the Chinwag and just go up to them and start talking. Through one commuter you can meet many others. Commuter: One thing that really helped me at the beginning of the year was the CBS groups. In these groups, advised by two upperclassmen, freshman are able to get together and get to know each other, which is a good start for the year. Resident: It's easier for residents to get to know people. Commuters have to try a little harder to get to know people. Resident: Of course commuters have a problem a lot of times with transportation, have their own group of friends at home, and use Augsburg only as a center for scholastic achievement. Resident: I go home every week-end and I don't have a problem in getting to know people. Commuter: Yes. but you're here all the time ex- cept for weekends. Commuters tend to go to classesand then home immediately. LEFT: The Lounge provides a pleasant place to stop and talk between classes. TOP: Resident students carve a pumpkin tor Halloween. ABOVE: Students play 500 in the Chinwag.

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Commuters and Residents “Much of the Same World ... ” Editor's Note: In the last few years, there has been an increasing awareness of the commuter problem. The writer has spent considerable time interviewing and survey- ing residents and commuters in an examina- tion of the situation. The opinions and ideas stated are not necessarily those of the writer or editors. by Diane Forsberg Faces Faces of people from all over the United States and from different parts of the world. Hundreds of people encountering for the purpose of furthering their education: each diverse in their way of thinking. They grumble together. They celebrate together. And as they work and study, they learn from each other. Such people make up the student body at Augsburg College. This student body consists of two general groups: the commuter group and the resident group. There are 906 commuters compared to 631 residents. The commuting student and the residing student share much of the same world at Augsburg, yet they live in separate worlds. The commuting segment is largely from the metropolitan area or surrounding sub- urbs and small towns, while the resident groups con- sists of students from both far and near, representing many regional differences. Transportation is a key word for the commuter, but is not of vital importance to the resident. Students find various means of transportation. Although the majority drive, many rely heavily on car pools and buses, while others are seen biking or hitch-hiking - laden with back- packs. At times transportation can be a hassle for the commuter. The University, sharing the same problem, devised a computerized car pool system which went into operation for the first time in the fall of '72. The new program is designed to deal with two main prob- lems: to cut down of the number of cars and to get potential car poolers together. It is available to Augs- burg students free of charge. Resident students are on campus most of the time, whereas the average commuter usually spends only from 18 to 25 hours a week on campus. When the com- muter is not in class he can be found in several dif- ferent places: perhaps laboring studiously over some text in the library, relaxing behind a newspaper in the Student or Alumni Lounge, or shooting pinball in the Game Room. The Chinwag is one place of action where commuters can get together for lunch or just a break during the day. At the end of the day there are very few commuters to be seen. Residents tend to dominate the night scene at Augsburg, as most commuters find it difficult to be on campus after classes when many of the activities are scheduled. This seems to be the predominate prob- lem. Other related problems center around transporta- tion. the time element in commuting, and limited so- cial activities. Gary Wilde, a commuter from South Min- neapolis. claims that when he gets home from classes and track he's too tired to go back to school. Residents can understand the commuter's ordeal. Resident Gary Anderson comments. It takes an hour to two hours out of the day just for driving time, a disadvantage to the commuter especially when most extracurricular activities are scheduled at night. Syl Jones confirms this. Things don't happen until night-time, adding a new dimension which the commuter misses.” There- fore. the majority of residents and commuters agree

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Commuters Speak Ted Markgren (Jr.. Bloomington): I have found that I have developed other interests outside of school so I don't feel a need to get involved. Brian Rokke (Sr.. Minneapolis): Things are happening with resident students that are not publicized at all. Elizabeth Everson (So.. Minneapolis): I feel foreign being on campus after class hours. In commuting you don't feel as if you belong as much. Scott Johnson (Fr.. Minneapolis): It's not actually harder to get involved but you don't. When you're done with your obligations you just leave: you don't hang around. Susan Hanson (Fr.. Bloomington): If you're involved, you're involved. Commuter: A iot of times there is a need for the commuter to find a new group of friends at col- lege as the old friends from high school split apart and go their separate ways. Resident: In a way I can see why commuters don't want to stick around. What is there for them to do? Resident: Perhaps there's a possibility of a sharing system between commuters and residents in which a resident can go home with a commuter when he wants to get away from the school atmosphere, and a commuter can stay with a resident whenever he needs to. perhaps for a certain night activity that would get over kind of late. Resident: There were very few commuters that ran for office in Student Government. On the Stu- dent Council there is a Men’s Off Campus and a Women's Off Campus to meet the needs of the commuter and to make sure every segment is rep- resented. Resident: As far as participation goes, there are many resident students who are unwilling to be- come involved at school. Resident: Some resident students have a hard time getting to know people, too. There are a lot of re- sidents who go home every weekend. Resident: Actually it’s easier for residents to get to know each other because they're living together. They see each other all the time. Resident: You can't help but get to know them. Resident: Students who live at Augsburg are ex- posed to a wide range of different people. I feel that there's a lot of fear of the other person, not wanting to get close to someone, and not wanting Residents Speak Paul Sandness (So.): You're always with friends and there's always someone around to talk to. Mike Thomsen (Fr.): I get my work done at school: at home there's too much to do. Mark Brodin (Jr.): The resident student has an advantage as he is exposed to a valuable college experience, social interaction, that the commuter doesn't have access to. Jeff Dahl (Jr.): Living on campus is lots of fun. I wouldn't like commuting because I'd have to get up too early.