By Elisabeth Porch
Staff Writer & Copy Editor
A little-known option for commuters on the Wingate University campus is a “Commuter Kitchen” that provides a separate space for to prepare meals for students who live off campus. The kitchen, which includes a microwave and refrigerator, is located off the hallway that connects Cuddy Arena to the McGee Center.
Getting into the kitchen requires scanning the digital student ID students are given on the door handle. The door reads if someone is a commuter through their student ID and only lets commuters access the room. There is a QR code to a form that is recommended for commuters to fill out when they use the kitchen, letting the Office of Campus Involvement, which oversees the kitchen, know how many commuters use the kitchen. According to Abi Richardson, a graduate assistant at the Office of Campus Involvement, an average of two to three commuter students per day use the kitchen, based on the students who filled out the form.
As of now, there are no firm rules or regulations for the kitchen, as they have not been necessary, said Richardson.
“I like that there’s a place just for commuters,” said Emily Obando, a junior Wingate commuter who often uses the kitchen.
For students like Obando, this kitchen helps them save money, feel more integrated into the campus community and provides a place for them to store food and eat without having to leave campus.
Before the kitchen was built, commuters needed to either purchase a meal plan or find a microwave and refrigerator somewhere on campus. Two commuters who met at Wingate and married after graduation donated money to build the McGee Center lobby, said Richardson, and the university decided to use some of that money to build the kitchen as a tribute to the couple.
For more information on the kitchen, students should reach out to Richardson at her email, ab.richardson740@gmail.com.
