A new student’s perspective:
Comfort of home vs. weekend blues

Everyone dreams at some point in their lives for more freedom than they already possess. For me, that came sometime around my senior year of high school, when all anyone could think about was college. I made my decision to come to Rider, and now that I’m here, I am sure it was the right choice. However, upon arrival I had no idea that it was a suitcase school. The majority of people that come here are commuters or live close enough to go home on the weekends.

The Student Entertainment Council (SEC) is trying to provide more activities on campus over the weekend, and in turn have more people staying. There are movies and late nights at the Student Recreation Center to pass the time. Also, the SEC and Student Government Association are always planning things that students might want to go to, like Bronc Bingo.

Although what the SEC is doing is laudable, I think it’s important to remember a few statistics. First of all, there are a lot more freshmen here than there were in past years. It’s our first-year away from everyone; friends, family, familiar environments. Maybe the problem isn’t just that there is nothing to do at Rider so we go home on weekends, but that we actually miss our homes. No matter how much students want to get away from home, we are still never ready for the initial shock of college and the freedom that comes along with it.

I know I am guilty of going home on the weekends and missing out on some of the interesting stuff that takes place on Saturdays and Sundays.

Also, I’m from Northern New Jersey; I’ve been to New York on weekend trips more times
than I can count or even think of. On weekends I like to go out with my friends to Philadelphia, a city I know very little about, and just explore. My friends are also adjusting to college life along with me, and when a week full of studying, working and seeing new people ends, it’s nice to go home and see a familiar face.

To me, the problem with getting people to stay on campus is two-fold.

On the one hand, there could be more things to do. More concerts, more movies, more people coming to speak, etc. This would definitely get more people to stay. What college student doesn’t like a really cheap form of entertainment, right on campus? On the other hand, it is the beginning of the school year. Everyone is still making new friends and exploring new places. When it starts to snow, a short walk to the BLC will look much more appealing than an hour-plus drive home. A solution to getting more students to stay on campus would be to offer more activities and more inclement weather.

—Nadine Tester