Lily Hyunh/The Cougar

Commuter students say they feel more connected to the campus community following a series of events organized during Commuter Appreciation Week.

“It was so refreshing meeting people who also commute,” said chemical engineering sophomore Alyssa Vega, “I got to branch out of my comfort zone and befriend other commuters.”

Commuter Student Services hosted six events ranging from relaxing daytime pop-ups to nighttime festivities. 

Students enjoyed donuts and coffee before morning classes, a pumpkin-painting pop-up at the Student Center Plaza and a commuter game night at the Student Center South Game Room. 

“For the event, I made sure to have both video games and table games like pool and ping pong,” said commuter ambassador and marketing and finance senior Sebastian Castro Duarte.

The week also featured a movie night screening the slasher horror film “Scream,” followed by a Halloween costume contest and a Coogs Quest tabling activity and a golf cart circulating campus to distribute goodie bags. 

The celebrations ended with a commuter tailgate outside TDECU Stadium, where the first 500 fans received free food ahead of the Houston Cougars vs. West Virginia Mountaineers football game.

Planning these events was a collaborative effort, with each commuter ambassador submitting one event idea for the week. 

“I am a creative person who’s attended many crafting workshops,” said commuter ambassador and psychology junior Leilany Garza. “This semester, I suggested we do pumpkin painting.” 

Students said the week gave them meaningful opportunities to meet peers and feel valued as part of the campus community.

“Most standard campus events are either too late for me to attend, or on days that I’m not at school,” said psychology freshman Naila Alam. “I’m happy that I can participate in fun, flexible activities that I usually wouldn’t be present at.” 

The CSS is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for commuting students. 

“It doesn’t matter if the student commutes from 15 minutes away or an hour away; they deserve to be celebrated,” Duarte said. 

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