Commute
ommuterr
Chronicl
hroniclee
Vol. 7, Issue 2
Parking at Hamline: bumper to bumper
By Jennifer Fairbanks
The only benefit to having
an 8 a.m. class is beating out
the larger Hamline commu-
nity to a highly coveted park-
ing spot. Anyone who arrives
to the campus for classes
after 10 a.m. better either live
near campus or be skilled in
parallel parking because op-
tions for parking are limited
and scarce.
In contrast, Hamline's
neighboring University, St.
Thomas, has plans to start
building a parking ramp in
the spring of 2009 to create a
significant increase in parking
spaces for their students.
Although a parking ramp
could help students find a
parking space, avoid tickets
for illegal parking, and maybe
even help some commuter
students make it to class on
time, whether or not Hamline
plans to invest in one is still
unclear.
"We are always looking at
improving the parking situa-
tion," said, the Director of
Safety and Security, Shirleen
A day in the life
of a commuter
student
Page 2
Hamline University
The Drew parking lot filled to capacity on a typical weekday.
Hoffman. "It is too early in
the process to tell you how
we will be addressing the
issue."
While Hamline offers
parking permits from a lot-
tery based system, the stu-
dents who win the permits
must still pay the $130 fee.
Even if the student wins a
permit and pays the fee,
there is still no guarantee
that they'll get a parking
spot. The good news is that
permits are not required dur-
New location
breathes life into
commuter lounge
Page 4
Ramen
Ramen:
Reinventing the
college classic with
four easy recipes
Find out more on page 3
Photo by Jennifer Fairbanks
ing weekends, and the week-
days before 8 a.m. and after
4 p.m. That is also when most
students don't have classes.
These are all factors that stu-
dents find problematic.
"We pay $130 for parking
fees and therefore we should
be guaranteed a parking spot
on campus, not three blocks
away on a city street," said,
Hamline residential Senior,
Koome Kirimi.
PARK: continued on page 4
The commuting
vs. on-campus
life
Page 5
Winter 2007
Talking Back:
Snow plow policies
ineffective
By Jennifer Fairbanks
To me, there’s nothing
that can add to the parking
problems at Hamline Uni-
versity quite like snow. Not
only does snow make eve-
rything in the parking lots
slippery and slushy, but
when it doesn’t get plowed
very well the number of
accessible parking lots can
be cut down.
When a parking lot is
plowed, the areas around
the light posts and the
dividers commonly get
snow packed around them.
The parking spots around
these problem areas then
get either narrowed or
completely eliminated.
Unless of course you like
parking in a spot that has
three feet of packed up
snow on one side.
TALK: continued on page 4
Looking to get
more involved at
school?
Page 6
1
Vol. 7, Issue 2
A Day in the Life:
I was once diagnosed with
hyper germaphobia-
claustrophobia-strangerisis.
This complicated medical con-
dition, in layman’s terms, is an
acute fear of riding the public
bus. You see, school was finally
wrapping up for the semester
and I anxiously awaited the
days until I sashayed my way
off campus to embark on my
much anticipated (and highly
earned) leisurely winter break.
Only weeks before my campus
exit grandeur, I received the
crushing news that I would no
longer be clawing my way
through rush-hour traffic while
reclined in a temperature con-
trolled car like the rest of you
good people. Instead, I would
be joining the congested popu-
lation of thousands who dar-
ingly opt to ride Minnesota’s
Metro Transit system.
WARNING: side effects to
this kind of news may be, but
are not limited to, shortness of
breath from the millions of
polluted and infectious air par-
ticles swirling around the bus ,
severe twitching of the arm
while reluctantly inserting a
life’s savings of $2.75 into the
bottomless belly of the steel
beast, and tightening of the
muscles while bracing to be
thrown about like Raggedy
Ann after each Grand Canyon-
esque pothole and sharp right
turn.
On that fateful Monday
morning I felt like I had gradu-
ated to the first grade all over
again— totting a lunch box and
backpack while propped up on
the latest bejeweled shoe at
the bus stop. Holding back
tears this time, I swapped my
pocket change for a transfer
2
Commuter Chronicle: Hamline University Winter 2007
Hamline commuter student Caroline Joseph
opens up her dairy and recounts a memorable
experience riding public transportation.
ticket and took the empty seat me, motionless for most of our body. I wondered how we will
next to the window (an oppor- ride, briefly broke her gaze ever manage global warming,
tunity to grovel at the mocking away from the adjacent win- the sky-rocketing gas prices
cars humming nearby). dow, turned to me and said, and weaning America off its
Fate was left up to God and “See all those cars, there’s only
dependence on foreign oil if
we’re still practicing the every
(wo)man for his/her self doc-
trine?
If ignorance is bliss than
knowledge must surely be guilt
because in that moment I
sulked over embarrassed at my
own negligent behavior. And I
no doubt was the worst kind of
offender… the kind that drove
twenty yards to the mailbox
just to fetch the mail. Return-
ing back home that day I
missed my connecting bus
which coincidentally was the
last one on route for the next
two hours. My sidewalk super-
model strut quickly collapsed
into a painful trudge as I was
forced to walk the fifteen
blocks to my house in last
week’s treacherous evening
snowstorm no less. God surely
collected his retribution from
me that day.
Against the Arctic wind,
beating sleet, snow, and cold I
managed to arrive home just in
time to nurse my frost bite and
ward off the imposing symp-
toms of hypothermia. Regard-
less of my thawing exterior, I
sure felt all warm and toasty
inside because I had made a
Tired of dealing with this traffic everyday? There’s a solution.
contribution to the “green
the bus driver who started eas- one person riding in all of movement” and erased some
ing off the brakes: cue to reach them.” In a swift gesture to not of my own carbon imprint. I
for my brown paper breathing offend the woman, I followed had beat the system. Con-
bag. “It’ll be fine” I chanted to her gaze back to the window quered “The Man.” Discovered
myself between inhales, “I’ll be and mimicked her interest. I the eighth wonder. I had rid-
there in no time.” began to count the cars we den the public bus!
…About an hour and a half passed on the highway. The The world seemed bound-
later I made a transformation, woman was right. The hun- less. Where couldn’t I go?!
a metamorphosis of sorts. A dreds of stalled vehicles were
woman scrunched up next to all occupied by one single TRAFFIC: continued on page 5
Vol. 7, Issue 2 Commuter Chronicle: Hamline University Winter 2007

?
Is there such a st Lunch
f
a thing as too B r e ak

much ramen? Dinne e s sert

No—not when you’re a broke college student r D
who needs to stretch every dollar to the limit.
Check out these non-traditional ramen
recipes to spice up your life on a budget!

Breakfast Lunch
Saskatoon Ramen Easy Peanut Sauce Ramen
Ingredients: Ingredients:
• 1 package of chicken ramen (do not crush) • 1 package ramen noodles (throw away flavor packet)
• 2 small eggs, beaten • 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
• cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes • 1 Tsp. garlic powder
• bacon • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• tomato • 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• green onion • 1 tsp. sugar
Boil ramen noodles via normal methods. Cook bacon to your • 1/3 cup water
desired crispness. Drain all water from the noodles. Chop • Sprinkle of cayenne to taste
bacon, cheese, tomato, and onions and place in skillet on (Sauce) Place the ingredients (except ramen) in a bowl. Stir
medium heat—stirring mixture well. Add eggs, and cook for well and microwave for 30 seconds.
a few minutes until eggs are done. Alternatively, cook the (Ramen) Cook the noodles like you normally do. When they
onions with the bacon to soften them up. are finished, strain the noodles until fairly dry. Pour in the
peanut sauce to taste.

Dinner
Crunchy Ramen Salad
Ingredients:
• 2 packages chicken ramen noodles
• cooked, cubed chicken breast
• 5-6 sliced green onions (or more to taste)
• chopped cilantro, to taste
• slivered almonds
• sesame seeds
• head of cabbage (Napa or Savoy)
• 1 stick butter
• 1 bottle Asian-style salad dressing
Melt butter in large saucepan. Add crushed ramen noodles,
sesame seeds, slivered almonds. Toss with melted butter,
sprinkle in soup seasoning packets. Cook in butter until nuts
and noodles get toasty. Toss cabbage, chicken, onions, and
cilantro with dressing. Add toasty mixture and toss again.
Reserve a little in the pan for sprinkling on top.
Dessert
Simple Caramel Ramen
Ingredients:
• 1 package of ramen (flavor packet removed)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
Preheat the over to 300 degrees. Mix the butter, brown
sugar and corn syrup in a pot, and heat on medium until it
starts to bubble and thicken, stirring often. When it gets to
this point, remove from heat. Break up a pack of ramen and
add into the mixture until it is entirely coated. Pour the mix-
ture onto a baking sheet and put it into the oven for 4 min-
utes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the fridge or
freezer.
Compiled by Serri Graslie
Recipes courtesy of www.mattfischer.com
3
Vol. 7, Issue 2 Commuter Chronicle: Hamline University Winter 2007

Commuter lounge settles into new home

By Serri Graslie
Like the students it caters
to, the commuter lounge has a
history of being relatively tran-
sient on Hamline's campus.
Earlier this year in Septem-
ber, the commuter lounge
moved from its old location on
the main floor of Drew Science
to a corner of the basement of
Bush Library. Though there
were many reasons for the
move, a primary one was so
the Center for Career Develop-
ment (CDC) next door could
expand into the lounge's space
during their remodel.
Another factor that
prompted the lounge's move
was the relative inaccessibility
of the space because of its
rather odd location in the mid-
dle of a low-profile building
that has little student traffic
outside of class.
Melissa Hruza, a junior who
works in the new commuter
lounge, said although some
students were upset about the
move, the space is now in a
more central location that bet-
ter serves the majority of com-
muter students.
"Others liked it before be-
cause they had their own space
without other (non-commuter)
students using it," Hruza said.
For the most part, how-
ever, the move is considered
an upgrade by Hruza partly
because the TV and furniture
are nicer and there are more
computers available for com-
muter students exclusively.
But is anyone utilizing the
new space?
Maybe, maybe not. It's
hard to judge how many stu-
dents use the lounge because
there is no one posted in the Photo by Jennifer Fairbanks
center all the time. Popularity of the new commuter lounge remains to be seen.
"There is a group of 15 that their way to class. The lounge campus […] (and) they aren't
use it for lunch and between also offers chances to win free really involved on campus,"
classes everyday," Hruza said. gas cards. she said.
"They know each other from But the center is just the Despite improvements, the
doing the same thing in the old first planned step in a larger lounge's location is not set in
lounge last year." movement to better incorpo- stone. As the campus expands
Hruza guesses that num- rate commuter students in to and new plans for a student
bers may increase in the eve- the Hamline campus. center are discussed, it is likely
ning during night classes. Hruza is personally working that the center will move once
To increase usage, Wendy on finding events to put on the again.
Burns of Student Activities has calendar in the lounge meant "Wendy Burns and Student
created events specifically for to inform students about ac- Activities are committed to
commuter students that in- tivities on and around campus. doing all that they can to make
clude morning coffee and "Commuter students don't campus a better place for com-
breakfast as students make know what's going on around muter students," Hruza said.

PARK: continued from cover

TALK: continued from cover
I very seldom see those plows
working in the parking lots though.
The lanes in most of Hamline’s park-
ing lots are pretty narrow as it is, and
when your car is starting to fish-tail in
the snow or spin-out, hitting another
car becomes a scary and very possible
situation. Turning out of or into the
parking lots can also get tricky, since
the plows never seem to take the
time to go around corners.
This year, on the second day we
had snow, there was a thick layer of it
in Parking Lot B at 8:30am when I
arrived. When I left at 3pm, that layer
was still there, but by then it had be-
come packed down into a slippery
coating.
I understand that it may be hard to
plow the parking lots during the
hours when most people have classes
(8am-4pm), but I still feel like the
parking lots should be a major con-
cern during winter. Those plows cer-
tainly don’t have a problem plowing a
walkway with people constantly
crossing their path. So why don’t they
try to plow the parking lots more of-
ten?
Kirimi says that if Hamline wants to increase
the University's Undergraduate population,
then they need to also increase the parking
spaces.
"Hamline needs a parking ramp badly, espe-
cially with the new strategic planning in place
whereby they play to increase the number of
student up to 2,500 undergrads in the next two
years." Kirimi said the students who take night
classes are also in need of more parking lots
because residential students take up most of
the parking spots during the evenings.
Any plans for a parking ramp at Hamline are
still vague and even if there were any plans set
in stone, they most likely wouldn't be put into
motion until 2010.

4
Vol. 7, Issue 2 Commuter Chronicle: Hamline University Winter 2007

A Tale of Two Hamlines

“It was the best of times... it was the worst of times.”
OFF CAMPUS ON CAMPUS
Filling up the gas tank on a bi-weekly basis Close proximity to school facilities ($0)
($2.80/gallon) Close proximity to school events and club
Enduring rush hour traffic ($0) meetings ($0)
Circling the block repeatedly when looking Frequent dinning at Sorin, Klas and other
for a parking space ($0) nearby eateries ($1,500/semester)
Frequent tardiness ($0) Visitation rules ($0)
Watching I Love New York marathons in Community restrooms ($0)
the commuter lounge ($0) Waking up ten minutes before class
Independence… PRICELESS starts…PRICELESS

We weigh the pros and cons of commuting versus living on campus for you.

TRAFFIC: continued from page 2

With a pocket-size map and a two- bus has been a sobering and rewarding
hour limit on my transfer ticket I could experience for a few good reasons. I’ve
discover a whole new world (cue theme become more cost-efficient, more time
song from Aladdin). The Christian in me conscious, and more street savvy. I know
wanted to shout the gospel of public my city and how to get around in it. The
transportation from the roof tops. The bus lane is quite convenient; it’s the loop-
broke student in me hole for budging.
wanted to recycle used
‘Americans spend an There’s
no better seat in
transfer tickets for the world for people
$0.50 on Facebook. average of 50 watching. The pleasant
Either way I decided to minutes a day in and helpful bus drivers
do a little research on traffic and average with all their abundant
behalf of my target 900 hours total over knowledge are at your
audience. service. And for you
Americans spend
the span of a lifetime.’ students: the bus has
an average of 50 min- two stops on Hamline’s
utes a day in traffic and average of 900 campus. Here’s the kicker: ahh the luxury
hours total over the span of a lifetime ac- of spare time and hassle free mornings in
cording to Metro Transit. Likely 900 hours lieu of road rage, metered parking, speed-
alone and bored. Well, not really alone ing tickets, fender benders, etc, etc. Metro Transit operates all over the Cities.
considering the faux relationships we’ve A few extra coins buys a round trip
built with our AM/FM radio deejays in lieu fare to Anywhere, Minnesota and relieves For bus schedules and
of any real social interactions. And who some of the pressure off of your wallet
could be bored fiddling with the car gadg- and the ozone. In the meantime finish up more information about
ets, gizmos and hands off wireless what’s- the semester with a bang, and I’ll see you using public transport
its while inching through traffic. on the bus this spring. visit MetroTransit.org
Honestly the past few weeks riding the
5
Vol. 7, Issue 2 Commuter Chronicle: Hamline University Winter 2007

Hamline Orgs: At a Glance

FUSION Students Together Organizing Volunteer
Support network for multi-ethnic and multiracial Events (STOVE)
students; educates the community on political, cul- Coordinates student volunteer activities in the local
tural, and racial issues. community.
(612) 229-2892 (507) 459-0115

Hamline Outdoor Recreation Club Theta Chi

Plans activities such as rock climbing, winter camp-
ing, cross-country and downhill skiing, hiking and
roller blading.
HU Entertainment/Activities Team
HEAT plans monthly all-campus events such as
Homecoming, dances, February Formal, and the End
of the Year Party.
(651) 788-2791
Students for Peace
Interfaith organization committed to active nonvio-
lence as a transforming way of life and as a means of
radical change.
Founded on the ideals of academics, community ser-
vice, and the principle of the “helping hand,” Theta
Chi fraternity sponsors physical, social, and formal
activities for the Hamline community.
(612) 730-0660
Where’s the Fun?! (WTF!?)
With the Office of Student Activities, WTF?! pro-
vides a variety of weekend activities.
(651) 523-2420
What’s On The Weekend?! (WOW?!)
A weekly email from the office of Student Activities
and Leadership Development that highlights a vari-
ety of upcoming weekend events.

Getting involved is easier than you think

By Jennifer Fairbanks
Commuter students are
visibly absent at Hamline.
Often they fall into a routine
of coming to classes, then
abandon campus all together
then minute they are done for
the day. Universities seem to
frequently look for ways to
get commuter students more
involved with the campus life,
but sometimes participating
in activities on campus can be
impractical or hard for com-
muter students to do-- a long
commute home, a job, and
other outside issues all factor
into simply not having
enough time.
On Hamline's website
there is an activity page that
encourages students to "jump
in and get connected to the
Hamline community!" Col-
leges usually try to offer or-
ganizations and programs
that fit the interests of a wide
variety of students. The page
also lets students know ways
they can get involved and lists
many organizations and clubs
at Hamline. There is even a
page that lists current events
and things for students to do
while on campus, which is
directed at students who may
feel like college life for them
is getting boring.
Yet, the University's web-
site for commuter student
services is bland and hard to
find. The page lists basically
the same things as the activi-
ties page does, with nothing
exclusively for commuter
students. Judging by the
website page, the University
also seems to lack the under-
standing that some com-
muter students, who want to
get involved, don't have time
or lack the motive.
At the Multicultural and
International Student Affairs
Office (MISA), Vanessa
Ramos, Coordinator of Inter-
national Student Programs,
thinks that their office sees a
good amount of participation
from commuter students de-
spite the obstacles they face.
"Although most of our
students commute or work or
have other obligations, there
is a significant population
that participates in student
orgs and programs," said
Ramos.
Ramos says the MISA Of-
fice would still like to see
more commuter students
putting their office's re-
sources to use. She said, "We
would like to see students
using the MISA house as a
lounge space between
classes, and to have students
hold meetings there."
Contact the MISA or
Student Activities
office for more
information on how
to get involved.
MISA:
(651) 523-2423
Student Affairs:
(651) 523-2088
6