Do you know our chant? I do.

Is that odd for a commuter and transfer student? I do not think so.

The standard mindset of commuters — students who do not live on campus — is to go to class and then go home without experiencing or participating in all Central Connecticut has to offer.

Why is that?

I feel that many people I have encountered, wish they had made the most of their college experience after they are no longer in school. Many feel that networking on campus would have improved their in-school experience and further their careers post-graduation. But it seems that commuters are most likely not to engage in activities on campus.

I can understand the dregs of traffic after class to go to work that pose stressors on students. Yet, making time for a club or to attend activities on campus is easy to build into a student’s schedule.

The harder question to answer is, why not?

Expanding ones individual social network — I don’t mean on Facebook or Instagram — is purely beneficial. In school, attending on campus activities is not only for residents. Activities are hotspots for students to associate with their peers who may share common interests. The majority of these campus activities provide free food. Thats right, school is paying for you to survive on something other than top ramen and pizza. By free, I mean you already paid for it in your tuition, so why not get your penny’s worth.

Central is similar to the App store, if your interested in something, theres a club for that. There are even clubs that will enhance your chances of getting into the field you want build your career in. But that isn’t the best part, some clubs have paying positions. Or better yet, you can get a job on campus. There are positions from newspaper writers to lifeguards that offer tax free income. Imagine being paid to do things you enjoy on campus. There is just very little incentive not to be here.

If there is an activity you wish to see on campus among the dances, drag shows, bingo nights, carnivals, and concerts pitch it at a Central Activities Network (C.A.N.) meeting. Members are responsible for organizing most of the events on campus and are accepting of any and all walks of life.

Why is it so ‘uncool’ to love the school you attend just because you do not spend thousands of dollars to sleep there?

I did not grow up in Connecticut — despite being born in Manchester — and lived in California from ages 8 to 22. Two years ago I decided to uplift me and my now-husband across the country to attend a college here in my home state of Connecticut.

I spend more time at school every day than my own home, which is literally down the street. I immediately joined organizations like the Central Activities Network, got a job at RECentral, began writing for the newspaper and became an Orientation Leader this summer. Each new adventure broadens the horizon and builds on my college experience.

Commuters deserve to get the most out of their college experience just like residents. Do not wake up one morning regretting the chances you did not take while still in college.

So, get out there, join a club or adorn some Central swag. There is nothing wrong about having school spirit as a commuter. After all, everyone here is curating the same legacy.

Let me hear you: “C-C-S-U.”