Bridging the Divide: Commuter Students Find Their Place at Mount

By Maya Enciso

FROM the 405 to the 110, LA traffic can be exhausting. Many commuters at the Mount face this day-to-day frustration, and it often becomes the obstacle between them and fuller student engagement. For city commuters, distance and time limitations mean constantly weighing how long they can realistically stay on campus, or whether a social event is worth the extra drive, gas, and hours spent getting to the right campus.

For instance, take Jazmine Flores’ story. Jazmine is a second-year Psychology major who

commutes from South Gate, LA, to the Doheny Campus every day. Jazmine was asked to walk us through her average school day. What time does she typically leave home, and how much time does the commute itself take? Jazmine acknowledged that her mornings from Monday to Thursday typically start at 5:00 a.m. and she leaves home at 7:00 am. She commutes via Metro every day she needs to be on campus. When she is on campus, she is either at work, in class, or spending most of her free time in the cafeteria.

The Chalon campus has a commuter lounge, but would adding one at Doheny help students feel more connected?

“I would not necessarily say there is a home base or dedicated spaces for commuters because every commuter has their own space on campus they resort to," she said. "Mine

happens to be the cafeteria, but I know some students find their spaces to be their own cars or the library.”

Here, but are we really here?

As many students at the Mount might not realize, commuters are the essential, yet often

invisible, engine within the university. Commuters are the students who speed walk to class,

finding a quiet spot on campus to temporarily call their own, to the ones who quickly vanish the second their last class ends. We are here, but in reality, are we really here? As we quickly pack up our belongings for the entire day and hustle to catch the bus on time, the main question still lingers in the air: Are we truly members of the Mount Community, or are we just guests who are here, paying tuition and renting a parking space?

Many commuters feel this way, and even question whether it is worth it. Many

commuters want to feel connected, and everyone truly feels this structural wall. Katherine Bonilla is a first-year graduate student studying counseling psychology who frequently encounters this wall. On her day-to-day schedule, she works off campus three days a week and knows she wants to be involved, but the challenge is timing.

“Most of the events and club meetings are in the middle of the day,” she said, which forces her to choose between working and the Mount community. At this moment, the choice is made up for her.

Measuring campus belonging

We asked Katherine to rate her overall sense of connection to the Mount Community on a scale of 1 to 10. “The sense of connection would be a 6," she said. "I am a grad student now, and it felt more like a nine when I was living on campus and could connect with people more." As a commuter, she says, she feels there's less of a connection, and by the time she gets on campus for class, there's hardly anyone around.

Jazmine was asked the same question: “I would rate it a 6. I would say having an on-campus job has definitely made me more connected to the Mount community. However, outside of work, I am more disconnected. I only mention this because I am a Doheny-based student, and many events are typically held on the Chalon campus.

"I am aware that there are shuttles available for me to take, allowing me to attend these opportunities and connect more with the Mount. However, unfortunately, it does not align with my schedule, they’re usually when I’m in class or later in the evening, and taking the bus that late just isn’t the safest option for me. It would be more convenient to have more Doheny-friendly activities.

"However, my biggest downfall would be not having a car since taking public transportation puts me in a tight spot.”

However, these stories don’t have to end with students feeling hopeless. Yes, the timing of events can be inconvenient for commuters, and many activities are held on the Chalon campus, but the students dealing with this every day already know what would make things better. They have the answers and the solutions.

Closing the gap between the two campuses

Both Jazmine and Katherine consider Doheny their main campus but believe they should also have access to opportunities similar to those at Chalon. For example, Katherine, who takes an evening class at Doheny, pointed out that Chalon has a 24/7 student loung, so why doesn’t Doheny? A space like that would be incredibly helpful for commuters, especially when they need somewhere to decompress, relax, or even nap between classes, meetings, work, or after a long drive.

Jazmine suggested reviving some of the Doheny-based clubs, which “will be easier for students to attend club events if they were on the Doheny campus.” She mentioned that another thing that worked well for her last year was being able to attend her Psych Club meetings because “they were held on Zoom, which made it so easy for me to go.”

A simple solution could help bridge the divide between the two campuses. Why isn’t a hybrid option the default for all clubs and events?

Commuters are definitely more than just cars using up a space in the parking lot, or students rushing to catch the bus. We are here to learn, connect, and grow from it all, and the university’s structure should reflect that. It's time for the university to focus on dedicated commuter spaces and offer options that are consistent across both campuses. Maybe then, MSMU can finally feel like home for every student.

Don’t miss part two --The Commuter’s Survival Guide is coming soon with tips to make your commuter life easier.