Commuters clean cars for a cause

Gracie Wise

While some people go to an express car wash to hose their vehicles down with water and soap, residents and commuters drove to the Mercy Hall parking lot to have them cleaned by fellow commuters for a cheap price.

The commuter association hosted its On-the-Go Car Wash on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Criminal justice junior and association treasurer Allison Carlisle said that the former president Brianna McMorris came up with the idea for the car wash last year.

“It’s a good way to raise money for the organization and just doing a little nice thing for people,” Carlisle said.

According to computer science sophomore and commuter Cole Dugas, the group wanted to host an event that was meaningful to their purpose.

“We’re going to wash those cars because that’s what we have in common: we have to drive here. That’s what being a commuter means,” Dugas said.

It took months of planning for the association to make this car wash possible. Besides simply needing sponges, buckets and soap, they had to delegate who was going to set up the event, collect the money and wash the cars.

It cost $5 per car wash and $8 per truck and SUV wash. Plus, commuters who volunteered for at least an hour received a free car wash.

Mass communication graduate student and commuter James Lambert was one of the customers to get their cars washed.

“I heard about the car wash and just wanted to come on by and not only get a clean car but help support Loyola,” Lambert said.

According to history junior and commuter president Trent Ankesheiln, all funds will go toward the association’s budget for upcoming events.

“We have a commuter cookout that we’re hoping to get approved. That’s going to be the next direct thing that we’d use the money for,” Ankesheiln said.

Commuters make up half of the university’s population, yet a lot of people think otherwise. According to Dugas, commuters are almost like the silent half of the school.

“Everybody thinks of organizations like SGA, but a lot of people don’t know that commuters are actually half of all the students that they assume that we’re the minority, but we’re not,” Dugas said.

Ankesheiln said he hopes the car wash made the Commuter Student Association visible on campus.

“We want the general commuter body to know that we’re here to support them as much as possible,” Ankesheiln said.