By Paige Quiggins
While I am all for some campus renovation and accommodations to students, I cannot help but notice that with every change, we are set back in other areas. For example, take the new Einstein Bros. Bagel shop in Bingham Humanities. In the lobby, at one time, there were several desks and chairs. Every day, especially on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, you could not find an open seat to study in, because they were all occupied by students with their faces shoved in textbooks. Now, all you see is mile-long lines, students gobbling a quick lunch and fraternization. There is really no place to study, even though there is a sign that reads, “Please be quiet.” A bit of space in the middle of the building, facing the Ekstrom Library, lingers for those who still try to study between classes. Students seem cramped like sardines.
This would not be so bad if there were other places to study in the Humanities building, or in the vicinity. Unfortunately, there is no enforcement for the sign. Students may not realize they are disrupting others, as they are on a break. Unless you have earplugs, it is virtually impossible to read or concentrate. Having a new eatery is great, but the placement of such entities could have been more strategically thought out.
Since we have this new mandatory meal plan, it would make sense that students should have a wide variety of options. The only available dining facility on the western side of campus is McAlister’s Deli. With 45 minutes to kill between classes, it would seem to me that a fast food restaurant should be an easy breeze to get through. Think again. The facility is spacious and well spread out; however, it is nearly impossible to get service on any sort of a time crunch. Perhaps it would be a better idea to add more registers to the current locations, or have certain lines for walk-through purchases. While I appreciate that U of L is attempting to make improvements, I wish there did not have to be a trade-off. Would it not make sense to think about education first? The Tulip Tree Café’s placement was well thought out. A lot of noise can come from eateries, so it was a better idea to place it at the side of the building, so students could study near the books as usual. Just because the Humanities building is not filled with books and computers, does not mean students did not use it to study.
Maybe we should be requesting for students to be more considerate. But is that really fair? If you are in class all day and finally have a break, you may want to talk to your friends over a cup of coffee. Social interaction is something human beings thrive on, but there is difficulty in finding a balance between having enough space for work and play. Perhaps it’s up to us as students to look out for those who want to work when we are taking a break.
