I am not just a commuter on St. Edward's campus, but also a part of our great computer science community. My daily routine lacks the sense of belonging that traditional, on-campus students enjoy. This feeling of detachment is something many other commuter students experience. Having a comfortable, inviting space like the Advanced Computing Lab (ACL) equipped with three couches would help close this gap and allow a stronger community of computer science students to form.

The addition of these couches would provide a comfortable place for students to come together, discuss their ideas, and collaborate on projects. By creating an environment that encourages collaboration and camaraderie, we enable improved communication among students and boost our sense of community. Ultimately, this simple action of adding three couches could be a vehicle for student retention not just in the computer science program, but across the university as well.

Just think about how much more enticing the ACL would become with these additions. Imagine yourself leaving a long and difficult programming class and having somewhere to unwind, to chat about the challenges faced in class today, or even offer help to a fellow student. Isn't this image of an enriched, collaborative, and stronger community appealing? Now, we ask for the university to make this image a reality by providing three couches for the Advanced Computer Lab.

Your signature can help build a stronger CS community at St. Edward's University, encourage student retention, and create a home-away-from-home for commuters like me. Please, sign this petition.