Gannon University commuter students got the chance to explore the campus in the 21st annual Commuter Awareness Days.
Commuter Awareness Days took place Tuesday and Wednesday to raise awareness of the nearly 1,200 commuters on campus.
The main event of the celebration was the scavenger hunt of offices around campus. Students were given a ticket to take to four required offices around campus — the Student Success Center, the President’s Office, the Student Health Center and Counseling Services and the library — and also one location of their choice.
Students could pick from any office or department around campus, including WERG FM, Campus Mission and Ministry and the Recreation and Wellness Center.
The Commuter Corner served free food both days and students also got a free coupon for a slice of pizza and a 12-ounce drink from Doc’s Landing.
Students were able to enter to win one of two $25 gas gift cards donated by the Dean’s Office of the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences and one of 20 free subs from Jimmy John’s.
In addition to the gas gift cards and subs, students could enter to win gift cards from businessed such as Sacred Piercing, Tickle’s Deli, Romolo Chocolates, Porky’s Pizza, Jrs. Last Laugh, Moe’s and Jimmy John’s.
Heidi Brieger-Noyes, the director for Commuter Life, said that she thinks that it’s important to celebrate commuters because it’s harder for them to feel fully integrated into the campus.
“When the students participate, they seem to really enjoy it,” she said. “It’s fun to see them go in groups and participate together.”
Anna Swick, a junior social work major, is a commuter adviser who has been participating in Commuter Awareness Days for two years now. Swick played a big part in putting together the event by engaging all of the offices on campus and contacting local businesses for donations.
Swick said that the turnout for the event was better than she could have hoped for.
“It was packed in here earlier,” she said. “People who usualy don’t stop in [the Commuter Corner] came in and it was really nice to see them.”
Swick also said that she thinks Commuter Awareness Days are important because they encourage students to engage with the campus more and become a part of Gannon.
“It’s about bonding,” she said. “I love being a commuter because it’s such a great community of people of different ages and different majors.”
SAMANTHA GRISWOLD
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