Towson aims to improve weekend life on campus, plan more activities 

By Morgan Lane, Editor-in-Chief

A typical Saturday at Towson is so quiet that it’s easy to forget the university has almost 20,000 students.

Widely known as a “suitcase school,” or a university where students leave campus to go home for the weekend, Towson has historically been a come-and-go campus. In past decades, it was even considered a commuter school.

Towson is less than an hour away from many major Maryland cities, so many in-state students spend their weekends at home. Most student organizations don’t host events on the weekends, and the university offices close at 5 p.m. on Friday.

“I normally go home, just because I like to see my family and do my laundry,” said sophomore Gabriela Zerega. “Last year, when I didn’t have Friday classes, I would leave Thursday night.”

But university officials have plans to revive the weekend experience.

“This year, it’s a priority for us,” said Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Vernon Hurte. “We’re really trying to rebuild that late-night and weekend kind of programming.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the university heavily focused on late-night and weekend events. In more recent years, resource constraints and state budget cuts have hindered its ability to prioritize weekend culture.

The university is implementing student surveys through the Student Government Association, the University Residence Government and other representatives to receive feedback about upcoming events.

While student organizations have the freedom to organize weekend events, some members worry about wasting resources for an event that could have low turnout. 

“It’s hard for us to dedicate having an event on the weekend because we’re not guaranteed for people to show up, and we don’t want to waste money,” said Natalyn Taylor, director of the Campus Activities Board.

University officials plan to partner with the Towson Chamber of Commerce and local businesses to try and engage a larger part of the student body in evening activities.

“In many ways, we’re still in that evolution,” Hurte said. “We are seeing a little more growth in terms of students who are staying on campus.”