St. Thomas’ Off-Campus Student Life opened a new lounge Feb. 1 on the second floor of the Anderson Student Center for students living off campus.
This relocated lounge gives students a space where they can hang out and meet other commuting students. The lounge used to be located where the current student ID office is in Murray Herrick.
“The main purpose of the lounge is to build a sense of community,” commuter mentor Madison Schwanke said. “As a commuting student you don’t always feel that sense of community, and we really focus on that here, especially trying to build the bridge or community connection between those who live in the neighborhood and those who don’t.”
The lounge area includes couches and chairs, computers and printers, and a designated eating area with a fridge and microwave.
“I think a lot of students, especially commuter students, need a place to go throughout the day, like in the middle of classes or between things on campus,” commuter mentor Dylan Monahan said. “It’s just really important that there is a community, a place where they can all interact with one another and make friends.”
First-year Grace Francque, who commutes from St. Anthony, enjoys using this new space.
“Because of Zoom, I haven’t met a whole lot of people in person this year,” Francque said. “As soon as the lounge opened, I met a lot of people that I met on Zoom in person at the lounge, so it’s been good to actually reinforce connections.”
The lounge allows students to not only communicate with other students, but commuter students can meet with a mentor or learn more about renting from off-campus living from neighborhood student advisors.
“If I ever had a question, I could ask my commuter mentor about things that are going on in the community or resources that I could get for various needs,” Francque said.
Francque is able to participate in events that Off-Campus Student Life puts on, like submitting a March Madness bracket and participating in the off-campus student photo contest.
With the new lounge opening up, Off-Campus Student Life encourages students to come check the lounge out, especially if they’re only a walk away from campus.
“I really hope students stop by, especially neighborhood students,” Monahan said. “I think that is a population we don’t always get to, but we really do welcome because it is for all off campus students.”
Schwanke says that Off-Campus Student Life was a “very underutilized resource” from not just commuters, but students living in the neighborhood.
The lounge offers off-campus students like Francque to connect with others at St. Thomas.
“I think the lounge is a really good opportunity for St. Thomas to make people feel more at home,” Francque said.
Natalie Hoepner can be reached at hoep8497@stthomas.edu.