Editor:
I am writing to voice my disappointment in the university administration for its lack of concern over the intellectual climate. The university, private donors and the state and federal governments renovated the Marriott Library to the tune of 79 million and overhauled nearly every aspect of the facility...except operating hours! The library currently closes at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday with midnight being the outlier of times open. Yes, my parents told me nothing good happens after midnight, but is learning that bad?
Does the university care about the intellectual climate or lack thereof due to the terrible operating hours? Other major universities have libraries that are consistently open 24 hours, and at least until midnight on the weekends. Are we not as capable? I propose that the library be open until at least 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday and until 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Anything less than this leaves the university and the students with an intellectual pyramid—something nice to look at but rarely open for business. Until things change, we will have the largest monument on any campus filled with dusty books behind locked doors.
David Hursey,
Graduate student, Middle East Studies
(it'd also be nice to get those raises we've been promised and for all those people to have kept their jobs).
I do think the library should stay open on fridays and saturdays at least until 8pm even if it means closing the library around 10pm on Sundays.