Commuters faced challenges when coming back to campus

By Tyler Salisbury

Commuter students at Stonehill College dealt with unplowed streets, power outages, and long, stressful drives even after the snow stopped falling last week.  

For former commuter and current e-board member of the Commuter Council, Merola Asaad, the difference between the two experiences has been very different. 

“My biggest concern was my safety. My commute was over 40 minutes, so driving that distance in a blizzard increases the likelihood of skidding, car damage, or getting myself hurt,” she said. “It was especially scary when seeing so many instances where that happened to other cars as I am driving to school.” 

Now that she lives on campus, her concerns have shifted to other things. 

“My main worries are the power going out and the walk to the dining hall,” she said. “In comparison, my worries as a resident are much less severe.” 

Asaad said her stress levels significantly increased as a resident. Before she stressed over her safety, missing classes, and having to wake up even earlier because she had to drive more slowly. Now her only worry is walking in the snow for food. 

As a resident assistant, Asaad noticed a similar thought process between on-campus students and commuters during this year’s storm. 

“My residents were not afraid or questioning their time management,” she said. “The only negative emotion they felt was ‘annoyed’ since they had to walk in the blizzard to get food.” 

Commuters faced higher stakes. 

“They felt afraid that they had to put their life at risk to get to class, as well as other lives on the road,” she said. “If anything did happen, they also put hundreds to thousands of dollars on the line to fix car damages.” 

Kylie Vecchio, a commuter student, chose not to go to campus the day the college reopened. 

“I did not feel comfortable driving 45 minutes to school,” Vecchio said. “I had heard from friends on campus that parking was horrendous.” 

Vecchio also went through a full day without power at home, which interrupted her ability to complete schoolwork. 

“I was definitely stressed about doing schoolwork at home because I lost power for a day, which set me back a bit,” she said. “Meanwhile, my friends on campus did not lose power.” 

Both students think that the college could provide more flexibility for commuters in the days following major storms. Asaad believes virtual options should be available when the conditions of the road are unsafe. 

“The roads outside of campus are still not safe,” she said. “Commuters also do not get an excused absence for this. This automatically favors the residents’ safety over commuters.” 

Vecchio agreed that the flexibility could help commuting students. 

“Maybe it would be a good idea to give commuter students one extra day for every school cancellation day and run it by professors,” she said.