Every good hive begins with a worker bee who sees what’s missing. To Lakisha Mason, SUNY Oneonta’s greatest need was obvious: a space where off-campus and commuter students—who make up almost half of the student population—could go to feel a sense of belonging.
When a former lounge in the basement of Sherman Hall opened up, Mason jumped at the chance to bring her idea to life.
I think it’s very cozy, and they did a great job having things people need and want...
The Commuter Hive, which opened this semester, was created to support and uplift SUNY Oneonta’s off-campus student community and provide a space where they can relax, recharge and connect with one another. It features a kitchen, TVs, a foosball table, games and activities, and a keycard access-only study lounge stocked with snacks, coffee and comfy bean bags. For a small fee, off-campus students can also access a private laundry room and lockers.
...a true home on campus for off-campus students, so they can have the option of coming here instead of going back and forth...
“I’ve been dreaming about doing this since 2023,” said Mason, director of Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services at SUNY Oneonta. “There was and is such a need for a space like this, a true home on campus for off-campus students, so they can have the option of coming here instead of going back and forth or being stuck in the library all the time. It’s a peaceful retreat for them to be able to just breathe and belong.”
Mason chose the Commuter Hive’s bee-theme and blue-and-yellow décor in order to “connect it back to the local community,” whose Oneonta City School District is “the home of the Yellowjackets” with the same color scheme.
Students are already making the most of the new space.
“I love it so much,” said Ariana Mehmeti, a junior psychology major who lives off campus. “I think it’s very cozy, and they did a great job having things people need and want, like art supplies, a kitchen, snacks, coffee, games, a study room. It’s the perfect place to hang out between classes.”
The Commuter Hive will host events throughout the year aimed at building community and fostering student engagement, said Ashiyha McClurrin, who graduated in 2024 and now works in Mason’s office. McClurrin and student workers are planning pajama parties, affirmation jar workshops and movie nights.
Through the Office of Off-Campus and Commuter Services, the estimated 2,600 SUNY Oneonta students who live off campus can access guidance on housing, transportation and lease agreements, connect with the Student Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, and consult the Bias Acts Response Team, Title IX, and Safe Space programs if needed, Mason said.
SUNY Oneonta is one of the only SUNY schools that has such an office, she added.
I’m so excited to see this space come to fruition after a long time envisioning and planning it.”
“This is not a small group of people,” Mason said. “They are typically an underserved population, and they require specific support. I take that responsibility seriously. I’m happy to offer any and all help that I can. And I’m so excited to see this space come to fruition after a long time envisioning and planning it.”