Although the commute from Briarcliff can become tiresome and the walk down the townhouse hill may be daunting after heavy snowfall, the Pace University dormatories provide students with much more than temporary warmth and shelter that on-campus residents may take for granted. President of the Commuter Advisory Board (CAB) David Holder, is in charge of ensuring that commuting students are equally as socially involved on campus as those who dorm.
“During my freshman year I could only make friends with classmates because I had to leave to catch a train or bus, so it wasn’t easy to hang out and create relationships,” Holder said.
The vast majority of the socialization that occurs on campus transpires in the dorms. Students are familiarized with their neighbors in the laundry room, communal bathrooms and in the common areas of the dormatories. Martin, North, Dow, Valley, Hillside, New Dorm and the Townhouses act as mini neighborhoods for students. Many students refer to their Pace friends as their Pace family, due to the mass sleepovers and long-time friendships that started out in the dormatories. Commuters are at a disadvantage when it comes to social situations because they are missing out on the mingling that happens once the sun has set and students are settling in for the night. Pace happens to be largely commuter based, but the 9pm meetings of most organizations poses as an additional hassle for commuters. There are even some financial disadvantages that come with being a Pace commuter.
“I remember during spring fling week, some friends and I brought some non-Pace students and were told we had to pay for their attendance, unlike the guests of on-campus residents,” Holder said. “They should change the rules for commuters; it’s not fair that the same rules don’t apply for all.”
The advantages of the price that on-campus residents pay are often overlooked by the downfalls of dorming, like thin walls or overheated rooms. This charge is a cost that residents would not even know existed, had it not been pointed out by the commuters. CAB is the voice of the commuters and are working on equality for all Pace students, no matter the living situation.
“One of the most important changes put into place has been the weather notification system,” Holder said.
Snow days and delayed openings have students compulsively checking weather apps. The automatic text messages that students are now receiving have been pushed and implemented by CAB. Ultimately, commuters are put at risk during the tumultuous driving conditions. CAB is currently working towards one more project with the Pace administration.
“A better Pace bus schedule and synchronization of it with the mass transit train and bus schedules” said Holder, “so that students aren’t left chasing pavement and weathering the storm.”
Public transportation can be a nightmare as it is. Syncing the Pace shuttle with the Metro-North train schedule would make the lives of many commuters that much more bearable.
Holder and his CAB committee serves to bridge the gap between commuters and residents alike. Meetings are held on Mondays at 12:10 in conference room C-D of the Kessel Student Center.