Commuters band together to launch new student organization

As a commuting student, college life is a little different for Caitlin Lysogorski where she faces a built-in disconnect from campus activity and social interaction.

Managing to get to and from class is a bit more challenging. Knowing the pulse of campus, when and where events are can be erratic. Simply growing your inner circle of friends is tougher.

And she’s not alone.

That’s why she and a few fellow commuters banded together this year to launch one of Bloomsburg University’s newest student groups — the Commuter Student Organization (CSO).

“The main focus of this organization is to get more students who do not live on campus to join and share their experiences, good or bad, about the drive to campus,” said Lysogorski, CSO president. “All students are welcome, but it’s strongly encouraged to hear from those who can give their own personal input by being someone who faces potential issues and can come up with new ways to prevent them from happening.”

Some of the common issues Lysogorski says commuters face that the CSO hopes to help with include alerts to weather conditions on and near campus, how to best work with professors about class attendance and missed work, and the challenges of socializing with on-campus students.

“When I moved off campus my sophomore year, I had a hard time staying connected and making more friends because of how far I was living from campus,” said Cameron Nelson, CSO social media representative. “Nobody wanted to come to my apartment complex because it was too far.”

In addition to monthly meetings, the CSO plans to help bridge the disconnect through social media — on Instagram and Facebook — where commuters can easily interact virtually, as well as connect with students living on campus more regularly.