With the help of the Student Government Association, students will now have the opportunity pull all-nighters on campus. Starting this semester, a 24-hour study area will be available for all students.
The study area is located in the lobby of the Education Center and will be used on a trial basis. Depending on its success, the study area may stay permanently in the Education Center or move to the Addlestone Library.
“Students have always wanted an area of campus open for 24-hour study,” said Victor Wilson, Executive Vice President for Student Affairs. “Suggestions have been made to keep the library open 24 hours, but we want to start small.”
SGA has been working on getting a 24-hour study location for a while, said SGA Vice President Isaiah Nelson.
“The idea of having a 24-hour study area is something that SGA has been asking for during the past couple of years,” Nelson said. “We worked with the administration to find an area that all students could use 24 hours, which would provide a great place to study and focus.”
It is important for students to have somewhere to go on campus to feel safe to study late for a test or exam, Nelson said.
“We all have nights when we have to study past 2 a.m., and we now have a great, quiet and convenient location to do so,” Nelson said.
Wilson said utility constraints currently keep the library from staying open 24 hours, and by keeping the Education Center open, they can test how a 24-hour study area can work.
“We will look after a couple semesters, and see from there,” Wilson said. “If it works, we can look at other options.”
Budgetary restraints also keep the library from being open 24/7, Nelson said.
“The first place we explored having an area like this [open 24 hours] was Addlestone Library, but due to current budget and staffing limitations in the library,” Nelson said, “we realized that we may have to wait for a better budgetary climate to open that location 24 hours all semester long.”
If this area is too small, it will be moved to the library, Nelson said.
“We hope that if this location sees wide use, we can look toward opening the library 24 hours at some point in the future,” Nelson said.
The Education Center is a good place to start, Wilson said, because of its size.
“It is something that the students think is cozy,” Wilson said. “Instead of spending money on the library, it’s better to start off small.”
The College changed the Education Center lobby in order to make it a better study area.
“We have added computers and painted,” Wilson said. “We will have security there throughout the night and the doors will be open.”
Nelson said the changes made to the Education Center were necessary for the students.
“The Education Center seemed like a perfect fit, and after some repainting and great new furniture, I think we have created a great new study area,” Nelson said.
Wilson said it is important for students to know that this area is for study purposes only, not to catch up with friends.
“We want students to know that it is a study area, like the library; you can’t go and sit and make noise,” Wilson said. “Other rules will be posted.”
Wilson said that Student Life will reassess after the upcoming spring and fall semesters.
“We will look at the numbers, and see what’s working, or move to a larger facility,” Wilson said.
The study area will either remain in the Education Center or move somewhere larger; it will not be shut down completely, Wilson said.
“We won’t shut it down, even if 10 students out of 10,000 use it,” Wilson said. “They may outgrow it, but I don’t see it just shutting down.”
The study area will be a guide for the future, Wilson said, and he is excited to help students’ needs.
“The main thing is, it is either going to stay or be an indicator for something bigger,” Wilson said. “[I am] most excited about offering this to students. It’s not perfect, but it’s something.”
Nelson said that the study area is another goal met for the students.    
“We wanted to make sure that the students were given the best opportunities to focus on their studies by giving them the best locations to do so,” Nelson said. “This location helps accomplish our goal of giving the student body the best opportunities to succeed here at the College.”