Here comes the Dark Knight to the rescue

Equality, mankind is in endless pursuit of it. Longing for the day where you don't have to eat in specially designated places, be unable to join the same activities, or have the ability to John "Dark Knight" Dell'Osa be able to stay in the same houses as the others. No, I'm not talking about racial harmony, I'm simply addressing the commuter/resident situation.

Did you ever notice that this school wants commuters to get so involved with everything that's going on, but then disallows you at every turn? Coming off of residency last year back to the lowly breed of commuter, I'm sorry to say that I can not share the same enthusiasm put forth in a similar column in last week's issue. I put this to you, commuting sucks! Did you ever notice that every aspect of this school is geared towards the residents, and although I have no hatred or different opinion of them, it always seems lite they look down on us. I can't blame them, even our ID cards are of a different, cheaper brand! It just seems that there is no way to escape that degenerative label of commuter, and that's the label that forces us to be less involved, and have a less enjoyable time at a college that leaves very little to be desired in the first place.

Now there arc some commuters who have broken this dreadfully dull lifestyle. I myself am one of them. We are the people you see in the bathrooms of your dorms, typing in the newsroom at night, or maybe just wandering around aimlessly after campus after dark causing you to ask your friends, "does that kid live here?" You see, we are the ones who realized that we are paying almost three thousand dollars a class here, and we're going to get our money's worth, but to do so, it always seems like you have to be getting away with something.

I'm involved in countless activities, all of which call for me to be on campus almost every night till late hours. If I had a car on campus I would be getting ticketed four, maybe five nights a week just because I'm dedicated to finding a light at the end of the tunnel without the aid of the coveted resident car tag. I find it ridiculous. When all your friends go to dinner in the cafeteria you are stuck with one of three glorious options. Either you pay close to six dollars for the prison slop your resident pals are enjoying, fight rush hour traffic to hit the local Wawa for yet another junior hoagie, or visit the commuter capital of the campus, the Wigwam, to blow four bucks on another nutritious meal of chicken strips and cherry coke. Makes you feel a little unwanted, doesn't it?

Now I know all you commuters are reading this right now and saying, "yeah, he's got a point." You're either at the picnic tables overlooking the lush garden outside the Wigwam, sitting in that bright and cheery promenade near the bookstore, or maybe you're feeling good enough to go and kick back in the commuter lounge with its top of the line, big screen TV and perfectly level pool table. I mean, can you smell the sarcasm? Residents, do you see what commuters are forced to substitute for their college experience? Cold linoleum floors, uncomfortable chairs, dirt hills overlooking a parking Jot, piss-poor television, no peace to do homework, and smoking in the rain.

Now I'm not saying that living at Cabrini is the most sought-after lifestyle. I know all about the seniors living in triples in Woodcrest that would give anything to move back home, but that battle is fought in this paper every week and there isn't really much more that can be said on that topic. I'm trying to bring up the often un-addressed problems found in the lower decks. I mean, aren't these supposed to be the best four years of our lives? I don't think so.

So now you're thinking, "Save us, oh superhero of the commuters! Get us a comfortable lounge with a good TV and a smoking section. Get us our money's worth, and a more meaningful lifestyle!" WelJ you know what? The only advice I can give you is, save yourselves! That's right, there's little I can do about the commuter areas; it's up to you to break from the collective. Now since the school would rather use our tuition money to build a wall out front of our school bigger and better than the one across the street instead of better accommodating people, becoming a resident may not be an option, but what you can do is assume the role of one. Get involved in some activities, meet some people, go stay in their apartments or dorm rooms and try to live it up. I can't write some random article with the intent of getting a new commuter building built, but what I can do is offer moneymaking ways for the school to alter existing policies to help in making everyone a bit more comfortable and united.

How about offering a commuter-parking pass? Maybe you pay somewhere between twenty and thirty dollars a semester for the ability to keep your car on campus overnight if the situation arises. This way you can join the theater and not have to drive home at twelve o'clock after rehearsal. Or what about the option for a commuter to purchase a meal plan? Sure it's the same low-grade dog food, but you'll be enjoying it among friends, meeting new people, and not losing and arm and a leg doing it. You see, there are reasonably easy things for the school to do to help in the quest for equality.

Since the big decision makers here at Cabrini would rather spend their time and resources overcrowding the school with more and more incoming students then taking care of who's already here, it's up to us to fight the system and make a place for ourselves. So take my advice. Next time you run into someone who has made the same decisions that I have, ask them how Cabrini was in the days they were hanging out in the Wigwam and keeping the nine-to-five schedule. Then look at how much bigger the smile is on their face than on yours and join the revolution! Now if you excuse me, I see the "commuter-signal" outside my pseudo-dorm room, and I'm off to save another life.

John Dell'Osa is a guest writer for Loquitur. He really needed to get that off his chest. As for the whole Batman fetish, your guess is as good as ours.

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