Connecting through commuter lunch
Emma Ogren, Staff Writer
Photo by Emma Ogren
Students who live on campus have many opportunities to connect with their peers outside of class through events at North Greenville. But, if you are a commuter, going to events held after class can become a struggle.
This is why commuter lunch has become a weekly event for students who do not live on campus.
Commuter lunch is held every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Joyful Sound room. It was created as a consistent time for commuters to connect with one another and become more involved on campus.
Jon Ross Fordree, who is the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) director, recalled that commuter lunch has been occurring on a weekly basis for at least the past 15 to 20 years.
“Commuter lunch provides opportunity for students who are not living on campus to come and gather, build community amongst themselves but also for the university to recognize and care for them. They are our students, and we love them,” Fordree stated.
Each week a different church from the local area brings in a free lunch for commuters, so these students who are not on the meal plan have an option on campus.
Fordree said, “The vast majority of meals are brought by local churches-they want to take ownership in the ministry that’s going on at North Greenville and they see the value of what we are doing. They also want to care for our students.”
Jayden Holder, a graduate assistant for CMSE, who supervises commuter lunch, said, “Every week I am coordinating with a church within the local area to provide a meal for our commuters. I try to keep it local because another goal is connecting students with a local church.”
Students who are part of BCM leadership have opportunities to serve during commuter lunch. Mia Hefner, a senior in Christian Studies, often comes early to help set up the tables and food and tear down when it is all done. This also gives students who live on campus time to connect with commuter students and grow friendships with people they might not have connected with before.
Hefner has been volunteering for commuter lunch since she was a freshman.
“It’s a really cool way to serve people that might not get served much,” she said.
Ethan Ragusa, a junior music education major, said, “I think commuter lunch has been such a blessing for all of us commuters-being able to meet each other, meet other churches and also you get free food. It’s just a really nice package for all of us.”
“There are not a lot of other opportunities to see other commuters in classes and it is awesome to have a lunch just for us, because there is not a lot of stuff just for commuters,” said Owen Ragusa, a junior music education major.
Commuter lunch is a great way for students to build community with CMSE staff, local churches, and other commuter students. This long-standing tradition will continue to strengthen the community and get commuters involved on campus.
