It’s finally Friday, and classes have come to a close for the week. There’s only one thing left to do, sit back and enjoy the weekend.

Then I notice something peculiar: the lack of vehicles in the parking lot.

Where did everyone go?

At this point, I’m frustrated and confused as to why three-fourths of the cars that were parked here this morning have disappeared.

This question has come up often during my time here at Simpson College.

As a transfer student to the college, I did not quite know what to expect, but I assumed there would be many students out and around campus.

The first weekend, there were packs of students roaming around and music blasting from the apartment walls. I met many new friends, and it was an overall great experience to start off my “official” college career.

Even though the first weekend was exciting, the second weekend seemed more like a ghost town.

Students were dragging their laundry to their cars, which seemed like enough to clothe a small country.

I realized that they weren’t going to come back to Simpson until classes resumed on Monday.

The trend of leaving campus continued throughout the rest of my junior year and is continuing into my senior year as well.

One noticeable effect is that Simpson students seem to be absent at the home Storm Football games.

The crowd at the first game of year consisted of more Simpson parents than actual students. Where was all the student support that we claim to pride ourselves in?

During the Storm’s game against Buena Vista, the stands were again filled with parents, instead of students. The fact that the parents were cheering more often and louder than the student section affected me the most.

Simpson has a strong athletic department, and many students do not take the time to support those talented athletes.

In addition, the college has specific weekend activities that are designed to keep students on campus.

For those students who leave occasionally, I completely understand the need to use your parents for laundry, food or clothing. However, I do not feel that students need to visit Iowa City or Ames every weekend.

Instead, there are enough activities to be a part of on campus.

I challenge Simpson students to actually stay on campus for a weekend and to be part of the true “Simpson Experience.”