If you dorm at Montclair State University you are probably aware of what campus life is like on the weekends: pretty much dead.
This may be due to the fact that “around 15,000 of Montclair State’s 20,000 students—75 percent—are commuters.”
Obviously, that is a huge percentage of our student population, however, we still need to care for the 5,300 students that live on campus.
For starters, dining options are extremely limited on the weekends.
The primary venues open on weekends on campus are Sams, Yella’s, Freeman Dining Annex, Dunkin Donuts at Blanton Plaza and Red Hawk Diner. While there is a lesser flow of customers during the weekend, it should not mean a downgrade in standards. Students recognize they are not fully stocked during the weekend, as the food quality is noticeably worse.
Additionally, buses do not run as often as they do during the week: the shopper shuttles visit various stores like Target and Stop & Shop, located at Clifton Commons.
However, students have complained that the shopper shuttles do not leave at the times indicated on the schedule. This can become a problem if students need to go grocery shopping or buy essential items, and are left stranded on campus. It is not so much of an issue if the student has a car, but for those without a vehicle, it limits them to certain weekends for shopping.
In some cases, students may find themselves relying on car services like Uber, which requires dishing out additional money. This is an unnecessary move when the cost of dorming includes Montclair State’s transportation.
There’s also neglect for dormers when considering the activities offered to students.
The school boasts about its lively campus, yet its events seem tailored towards commuters as they are held during the week.
Montclair State’s Center for Student Involvement states on their website page, “Students have a range of options when it comes to how they’d like to spend Thursday nights, Fridays, Saturdays on campus. Whether they want to compete in trivia night, catch a movie in University Hall, roast marshmallows in the quad or play laser tag with friends, there’s something for everyone!.” However, if you look on the Engage portal, all of their upcoming events are on Thursdays or Fridays.
Without any incentive to stay on campus, a portion of students travel home for the weekend. This leaves campus looking like a ghost town and diminishes Montclair State’s reputation as housing students in a well-rounded way.
We understand that opening up more dining options and having more events on campus is a cost for the school. But the students who dorm need more care than they are receiving, as they are getting pushed to the side with the growing number of commuter students. Their tuition is paying for services that are not up to par with what they are promised when signing their dorming contract.
We need more reliable shuttles as they are vital to living on campus. We need more dining options because there is only Yella’s and Red Hawk Diner open after 8:30 p.m.. We need more events that make students want to stay on the weekends and make their college experience memorable.
We know that we are a commuter school, but we need to think about those who dorm here if the living quality falls short of the value they are paying for.
