2008 Woodie Awards
It's Gonna Be a Late Night
Issue date: 10/15/07 Section: Editorials
- Page 1 of 1
When it comes to trying to prove itself as a real college on par with other top schools, YU pulls out all the stops. The University's push for students to stay on campus a full four years has a lot to do with the increase rigors of the Yeshiva College curriculum. It has become more and more difficult over the past few years to get exemptions for AP credits. If we're doing everything in our ability to look like a top-tier university, then why is there no satisfactory place for students to study past 1 AM?
While we do have a few options of where to study post- 1 AM, they are not the most conducive to studying. Anyone who has tried to study in the floor lounges in Morgenstern Hall knows how irritating it is to be interrupted by that guy who absolutely needs to talk to his girlfriend from one to three in the morning. And anyone who has made the trek to the twelfth floor of Belfer Hall to study in the sky-caf during the wee hours of the night has undoubtedly been distracted by the frequent poker games. But the issue isn't the girlfriend phone guy, or the poker players; they should be allowed to do whatever they want with their nights in those places, because those are lounges, intended for lounging and relaxing. What we need is a location, equipped with computers and reference texts, that is set aside specifically for studying. Something like the library.
Over the past few years, during finals week, the ground floor of the library has been open 24 hours. Last semester, Dean Berger graciously worked to keep the library open until two AM during midterms and finals last semester. With the lobby study area unusable due to construction, at least one floor of the library should be available during exams. However, we need more. Diligent students require the use of the library's books throughout the semester. With their busy schedules and extracurricular commitments, students often do not begin their nightly homework until late at night. Other university libraries are constantly open for student use. Funding the library with more money to hire librarians and staff throughout the night is the simplest way of advancing academic culture on the Wilf Campus.
Some will claim that staffing the library with more workers is not sensible for the minority of students who would take the opportunity of the facility during these hours. However, once the semester gets going and midterms begin, many students are forced to spend long nights poring over their books and notes in order to pass a class. Even if the students who would actually use these extended hours would be a minority, that shouldn't change a thing.
The administration of the university has taken great strides to make Yeshiva look competitive on paper, from building projects, to recruiting events, to fancy brochures. It's time to take a look inwards and take care of this very solvable issue. Looking like a university is one thing, but acting like one, now that's another story entirely.
While we do have a few options of where to study post- 1 AM, they are not the most conducive to studying. Anyone who has tried to study in the floor lounges in Morgenstern Hall knows how irritating it is to be interrupted by that guy who absolutely needs to talk to his girlfriend from one to three in the morning. And anyone who has made the trek to the twelfth floor of Belfer Hall to study in the sky-caf during the wee hours of the night has undoubtedly been distracted by the frequent poker games. But the issue isn't the girlfriend phone guy, or the poker players; they should be allowed to do whatever they want with their nights in those places, because those are lounges, intended for lounging and relaxing. What we need is a location, equipped with computers and reference texts, that is set aside specifically for studying. Something like the library.
Over the past few years, during finals week, the ground floor of the library has been open 24 hours. Last semester, Dean Berger graciously worked to keep the library open until two AM during midterms and finals last semester. With the lobby study area unusable due to construction, at least one floor of the library should be available during exams. However, we need more. Diligent students require the use of the library's books throughout the semester. With their busy schedules and extracurricular commitments, students often do not begin their nightly homework until late at night. Other university libraries are constantly open for student use. Funding the library with more money to hire librarians and staff throughout the night is the simplest way of advancing academic culture on the Wilf Campus.
Some will claim that staffing the library with more workers is not sensible for the minority of students who would take the opportunity of the facility during these hours. However, once the semester gets going and midterms begin, many students are forced to spend long nights poring over their books and notes in order to pass a class. Even if the students who would actually use these extended hours would be a minority, that shouldn't change a thing.
The administration of the university has taken great strides to make Yeshiva look competitive on paper, from building projects, to recruiting events, to fancy brochures. It's time to take a look inwards and take care of this very solvable issue. Looking like a university is one thing, but acting like one, now that's another story entirely.