By: Savanny Savath, Staff Writer

Commuters are a minority group at Wofford. Some commuters are lucky enough to stay on campus longer. Some are content with simply attending classes. Others like me feel disconnected from the rest of the student body because we eventually have to go back home or to an apartment off campus.

Every year, my peers would ask me when I was going to live on campus, and every time I lied and said, “Next year. If not, definitely senior year.” I am a senior now and I have never lived on campus.

I don’t have traditions or rituals with any group of friends. I don’t know what it feels like to go to Waffle House or Cook Out in the middle of the night. I don’t know how it feels like to have a roommate who is also your best friend.

However, this is not an editorial where I continue to complain. I hate complaining. I hate asking for help and that’s probably why being a commuter makes sense to me (outside of financial reasons).

This is an editorial where I tell my peers why commuters matter, why I matter.

Being a commuter requires a lot of compassion and patience. I have to understand that most of my peers will choose to spend time with their friends over spending time with me simply because they share a closer bond from living together on campus. They only know me from my terribly corny jokes in class.

On the other hand, I am the friend people go to for help. It has to do with distance. Sometimes the friends you see every day are too close to the problem that they won’t understand why it is a problem. I see and understand more because I am already on the periphery of social scenes. I am used to watching groups interact, never mind how creepy that sounds.

I also have less of a desire to share another student’s secrets because I barely talk to my peers outside of class. In other words, I end up hearing many secrets that could never be known on campus.

Also, Wofford is a small college. News gets around fast. Commuters are like vessels of information. I generalize but this is based on my many experiences of friends, acquaintances and even strangers reaching out to me.

Being a commuter also helped me appreciate the Wofford staff (i.e., all employees) so much more. They commute too, so we understand one another. The staff always take the time to have long, meaningful conversations with me.

I view them not merely as employees but people who do have various experiences and stories. I think students tend to forget that they can be friends with the staff too. They are just as important as the students.

I remember being in Milliken when one of the janitors dropped something while she was cleaning. The students who noticed turned back to their work and did not help her. It was rude. I was upset. I walked over and helped her but she didn’t see me help her and that was fine.

I only wish more of my peers be more considerate to people outside of their social groups. Commuters included but they don’t have to be my friends. There are other commuters who feel disconnected from Wofford’s small knit community.

Take the time to have a conversation outside of “Hey, how are you?” before walking off without even waiting for a real response that isn’t a quick one liner. Talk to one of the landscapers. Make Wofford’s “world” the diverse and close community we all believe it is.