Frosh Week can be overwhelming, with constant events being held and eager upper-year students shoving flyers in your face promising the “best new club.” Kids in residence get to immediately experience the Vic community by simply staying in res. Commuter students, on the other hand, have to take more initiative to become involved on campus in order to access the sense of community that res kids take for granted.
However, in our interview with fourth-year student Darren Cheng, co-manager of the Cat’s Eye Student Lounge, he explains his positive experience as a commuter student and how Vic, especially the Vic Off Campus Association (VOCA), offered many opportunities for commuters seeking out their own Vic community.[hr gap=”2″]
The Strand: Residence and commuter students often have very first-year different experiences. Commuter students have to try that much harder to feel included in the community. What were your first-year experiences like? Did you find it difficult? Was Victoria accommodating?
Darren Cheng: Going into my first year, I opted to stay on residence for Orientation Week, which I think was one of the best decisions I could have made in starting off my university career. Because of it, I was able to take part in events and experience what Vic has to offer in ways that I don’t think I would have had I commuted throughout the week! Even after Orientation, I spent time in the Cat’s Eye during VOCA pancake brunches and half-heartedly attended Vic events. In a way, I think I took for granted the different opportunities Vic gave me to get involved on campus soon after classes started.
TS: Everyone knows that UofT often lacks the community aspect of the university experience. But it seems that within the past couple of years, students have really rallied to change that. Have you noticed Victoria College taking more initiative to help commuter students (and students in general) gain a sense of community?
DC: Of course! Isn’t that the whole reason why we have a college system? I think groups like VOCA and others that have worked with the VUSAC to promote mingling of the two “types” of students really aim to address the two-sidedness of the commuting and residence communities- within the larger Victoria College community. The sense of detachment felt by commuters isn’t something Vic groups easily overlook, and many—if not all—make an obvious effort to provide events and opportunities that are equally accessible to both commuters and residence students. As well, commuter dons put on their own events during the year and are so important in giving support and help to commuter students year-round.
TS: What made you become involved with the Cat’s Eye and eventually become its co-manager this coming year?
DC: In second year, I was regretfully uninvolved at Vic since I no longer had a seminar on campus. I realized what I was missing and ultimately made an active decision to join the Cat’s Eye Subcommitee in my third year, hoping it would give me more reason to come to Vic and get involved. Little did I know, it would eventually lead to me applying and getting the position as manager of the space, and now I’m spending much more time at Vic than I ever expected!
TS: What activities/programs do VOCA and the Cat’s Eye offer to students?
DC: Probably the most well known events put on by VOCA are the weekly pancake brunches (usually hosted in the Cat’s Eye). The event specifically targets commuter students, hoping that the stacks of free, delicious, syrupy pancakes (and sometimes waffles!) will give students a good enough reason to hang out with other Vickies. Throughout the year, VOCA also works in other ways to promote commuter use of the space—renting out free lockers at the beginning of each semester, for example. Along with being the venue for many VOCA events, the Cat’s Eye hires 33 student volunteers (Subcommittee, or Subcomm, members) from Vic at the beginning of each school year who are trained to oversee the space. Both residence and commuter students are encouraged to apply for the Subcomm, and managers usually aim to have an even spread of residence and commuter students from different years.
TS: As a commuter student, what advice do you have for commuter Frosh this year to become involved on campus?
DC: I’m sure you’ve already heard it before, but JOIN ALL THE CLUBS!! VOCA and the Cat’s Eye (personal plug) are especially great ways to start getting involved, because you get to meet so many people and experience so many different events you might not otherwise know about! Vic has so many clubs and groups, [so] it’s not hard to find something that could interest you. You just have to take the first step by putting yourself out there!
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