By Brandon Cortés
Features Editor
The lights dimmed in Room 217 of the Adanti Student Center as the opening credits of “Scary Movie” flickered across the screen. Commuter Services hosted the Halloween-themed movie night as part of its ongoing effort to give off-campus students a place to relax and connect with one another.
The event was one of several small gatherings held throughout the semester, offering commuters a chance to take a break between classes, enjoy a film and spend time with fellow students in a laid-back setting, psychology major Heather Rae Gaydowen, a senior and member of Commuter Services, said.
“This is another one of the events we host throughout the semester,” Gaydowen said. “We often try to plan smaller, casual gatherings where commuters can relax, hang out for a bit and still feel part of the campus community.”
Earlier in the semester, commuter services hosted a screening of the movie “The Maze Runner,” but this time, Gaydowen wanted something more in line with the Halloween season. Students were invited to choose from a few options, including “Twilight” and “Scream,” before the group settled on the lighthearted parody.
“It’s one of the chiller events,” Gaydowen said. “People can come in, watch a movie, talk with friends and just have a space to unwind in between everything else going on.”
Beyond offering a night of fun, the event was also part of Commuter Services’s larger initiative to engage off-campus students through the commuter cash program — an incentive that rewards participation in events throughout the semester.
“This is basically an incentive for people to come to our events. The more they participate, the more commuter cash they earn,” Gaydowen said.
Students can collect commuter cash at events like movie evenings or nights, karaoke sessions and scavenger hunts. At the end of the semester, they can use their earnings during a December luncheon and auction, where prizes will be up for bid.
“We kind of did a scavenger hunt earlier in the semester and those who took part got extra commuter cash for the auction,” Gaydowen said. “The next event is actually next week, but the big one is our December luncheon, where we’ll have a full buffet and the end-of-semester auction.”
Commuter Services hopes that through these casual, community-building activities, students who live off campus can still feel included in the broader university experience.
Gaydowen said that events like this are often designed to bridge that gap and bring people together in ways that feel natural and fun.
As students settled into their seats with bacon egg and cheese sandwiches and laughter, the room filled with the kind of easy energy that comes from shared downtime.
“These events give commuters something to look forward to,” Gaydowen said. “It’s a way to take a break, meet new people, and remind everyone that there’s a community here for them.”
