“So, why are you here?” I can’t count the amount of times I’ve been asked this question. It always follows, “Where are you from?” and my reluctant response of, “Rochester, New York.” I was born and raised 4 hours and 45 minutes from Moravian University – five hours and 30 minutes if you account for rush hour traffic and stopping for gas.
I remember thinking I wanted to go somewhere “close-ish” for college, and Moravian was the best I could find. A perfect distance, far enough to keep me from running home every weekend, but close enough that a bus, plane, or car could get me back in less than 10 hours.
I thought I found the ideal balance until I showed up last year and realized most people live in a 70-mile radius of campus and could go home whenever they pleased, which I quickly learned meant frequent weekend trips for most of my friends.
Meanwhile, I was booking flights out of Newark, taking a Trans-bridge bus from Bethlehem to the airport, or riding in an Uber to the bus station. After eight hours of travel, I’d arrive home and wonder why I ever called Moravian “close.”
Solo travel has never scared me, but then there were those moments – when the plane would hit turbulence, the bus would be delayed in the dead of winter at 9 p.m., or the Uber driver would take a wrong turn that would make me realize I had no clue what I was doing.
It was in those moments that I started to realize how much could go wrong when you’re traveling alone. I’d think about how much easier it would be to live close to campus, how different my life would be if I attended a school close to home, or in desperate situations I’d pray that teleportation existed.
Once I started driving and keeping my car on campus, so much changed. Not that I minded traveling by bus or plane, but now in my small blue car, I have a stronger sense of control over travelling and I can better relate to those who have the freedom to go home when they please.
No more waiting around for the next Trans-bridge bus or watching my gate change for the third time in one night. Now, I can simply hop in my car, blast my music, and coast on I-81 North until I find myself back home. It’s comforting, but I do have to mentally prepare myself for the long journey and the inevitable traffic on I-90 West.
I never thought of Moravian as a “suitcase school” until my first few weekends here when the campus suddenly went quiet on Saturday morning.
Certain students who live close by simply run home to do laundry, spend time with their families, or take a weekend to recharge their social batteries. For those of us who live out-of-state, going home takes a lot more planning, preparation, and time.
When I committed to Moravian, I knew the ratio. One third of students were commuters, so I wasn’t completely taken aback with the lack of busy weekends. Yet seeing students who lived on campus head home constantly took a little getting used to.
In the beginning, I was honestly a little jealous of them. If homesickness ever decided to creep up on me, it would be during those weekends friends would leave campus and I’d be reminded of how far I felt from home.
However, more parking availability is a perk of the quiet campus weekends. I never worry about finding a spot at the Sally or setting an alarm for two-hour parking and praying that I don’t get a ticket.
Moravian University is aware that being considered a suitcase school can limit their reach. The University has been working hard to expand its horizons and attract more students from out-of-state. They’re pushing to offer scholarships and financial aid to those who are farther away and focusing on diversifying the student body.
I’ve noticed that Moravian’s efforts to grow are paying off as I see an influx of new and prospective students from further away. The more students we have from all over the map creates a broader range of ideas, experiences, and backgrounds.
Social media and technology are playing a central role in Moravian’s current efforts to expand. The school has embraced digital platforms to connect with prospective students from all over the country and beyond. I found Moravian after a long search for a small liberal arts university and was relieved when I found a school that felt like a home away from home.
I think the contrast between commuters, students who journey home for the weekends, and those of us who live far is what makes Moravian unique. We experience the pros of a tight-knit community-driven campus, but we also have small opportunities to see the world from new perspectives.
