Evening and night activities are not commuter-friendly
By Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez
Associate Editor
College students are extremely busy. We’re often working part time - or even full time - outside of classes, or we’re in some sort of club or other organization. Sometimes we’re doing both, on top of a courseload that’s usually not designed for someone with our kind of schedule. Because of that, many clubs host meetings in the evening or at night, after daytime classes end. The same goes for events, such as the improv show. It’s the best time for most of the students involved. Except for those who also need to get to and from campus on top of their already full schedules. Commuter students such as myself. Commuters need to keep in mind how we’re getting to class and how we’re getting home. That takes time, and for a lot of us it doesn’t work well with these late meetings. Resident students can theoretically stay out on campus as late as they want and safely return to their dorms afterwards. Commuters do not have that luxury. Some of us have a bus or train to catch at 6 and can’t go to the meeting that doesn’t end until 8 or 9. Zoom is sometimes offered as an option, but how often does it actually work? For a job meeting, it works just fine, but part of the fun of clubs is getting to know your classmates. Does this happen over Zoom? In my experience, joining a club meeting over Zoom results in me only being present for what I need to be there for, and leaving as soon as that’s done. It’s just too much of a hassle to keep a Zoom meeting running, especially if you only have the free half-hour version. Personally, I’m lucky enough to live in Framingham and have a family that’s generous enough to pick me up at absurd hours in the night. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even be in The Gatepost. The newspaper meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday and Thursday, and copy-editing meetings on Thursday nights go on much later. If I wanted to take the public Metrowest Public Transit bus home, the latest I could stay is 7:30 p.m., and that’s cutting it close. Realistically, I’d have to be at the bus stop by then, and thus need to leave the meeting even earlier. If circumstances at home were different for me, I wouldn’t be writing this. This applies to more than The Gatepost. The Onyx meets at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Pokemon Club meets at the same time. So does Hilltop, and most of their shows are in the evening. The Art Club often hosts events around 6 p.m. The Gaming Club meets on Friday nights, and I’ve seen other events such as Poetry Open Mics take place at that general time. How many commuters are on campus on Fridays at all, much less staying or coming back here in the evening? Most people are not as fortunate as me and simply do not get the chance to be part of these groups or activities. I have several friends who fall into that category. I’d mention a club hosting a cool event or even just having a meeting, and as soon as I say the time, they get disappointed because it’s just out of reach. Whether it’s the train or work hours or simply the amount of time and effort it takes to get home and do homework, something makes the evening inaccessible for commuters. At the same time, holding these events any earlier in the day risks coinciding with classes. But here’s the difference. Classes change from semester to semester. Someone who can’t attend meetings at the beginning of their freshman year can still get involved later on. A commuter student is much less likely to get such a change. I don’t think many of us suddenly get the chance to move onto campus. I understand that not everyone can hold their meeting at that precious 1:30 p.m. Wednesday slot where most students don’t have class, but could we consider rolling back to sometime earlier in the evening, such as 4:30 p.m.? Or make the Zoom versions not feel like you’re in the backseat of a car and the event is outside a foggy windshield? Don’t forget that commuters make up roughly half of the student body. According to the school’s official website, in Fall 2025 we made up 49% of undergraduates. Every time we hold a club meeting, activity, or event in the evening or at night we’re making it that much harder for half of the students here to attend. If you want more commuter students to get involved, consider when you’re hosting your activity.
