By Chris Acree —
Commuter students seem to get screwed over by the university fairly often.
U of L’s student body is comprised of nearly 80 percent commuter students, and they can have issues deciding what to do between classes. From this point forward, it seems as if they’ll have to make due with lobby furniture in academic buildings for hanging out between classes.
Almost every student has their go-to place of relaxation on campus. For some students, this could mean their dorm rooms and cozy beds. But for most students, their beds are miles away.
The places designed for commuter comfort are set to be reduced by one, as U of L Dining Services is turning the Davidson Commuter Lounge into a Subway, which would replace Subway’s current location in the SAC.
The lounge has been a Davidson Hall institution for decades, a period that is certainly reflected in the décor. It’s not the most stylish place. The paint on the wall is orange, chipped and flaking in places. The carpet is a little ratty and sports a mystery stain or two and the furniture is a mix from every decade since Prohibition.
They have computers but no printer and their microwave and refrigerator are so old the hamsters in the wheels that power them probably went to rodent heaven during the first Bush administration. But regardless, it has a certain kind of charm.
Senior Rebecca Lepovsky is a public health and biology major who walks about a mile and a half to get to campus every day. While she doesn’t make it into the Davidson lounge often this semester, it has been a second home in years past.
“I think it’s a really good space,” Lepovsky said. “I really like the furniture in here because it’s really easy to take a nap. I like to use the microwave sometimes when I bring leftovers or something. And I have a set up on one of the computers that’s really convenient and I don’t have to bring my laptop to campus.”
The Subway would only be the latest eatery to be put into Davidson, which features a Provisions On Demand food kiosk.
The university doesn’t need another food joint, especially when they’re just moving an eatery they already have. U of L should instead pay more attention to the majority of their student body, and provide not only for their brains and their stomachs but also their butts and their eyelids. We need more areas for students to rest, not less.
