Last year, Kelly Haberstroh, former editor-in-chief, wrote an article about how Plassmann Hall was prospectively going to be a 24/7 workspace. The Student Government Organization (SGA), was planning on making a formal request to make Plassmann a 24/7 workspace. As the semester has come and almost gone, Plassmann continues to lock its doors at 11 p.m.
In Haberstroh’s article last year, she quoted Gary Segrue, director of Safety and Security, saying “They were asked to make a formal request opening one building 24/7 via email. I am unaware of the status of the formal request.”
According to Haberstroh’s article last year, discussions were preliminary, and there would need to be action from SGA, academics, security, student affairs and cleaning staffers. For this idea to work, security patrols would need to complete frequent walk-throughs of the associated spaces and be available for safety escorts.
Courtney Wilday, a junior elementary and special education major, has trouble finding good study spaces.
“I feel like I always have to fight for a place to study whenever I am on campus,” she said.
Wilday lives in a townhouse and arrives at study spaces later than those who live on campus.
“I am always rushing to get back on campus after showering and eating dinner, so I can get a good spot,” she said.
Although the Swan Business building is a 24-hour workspace, the second-floor closes at 9:30 p.m., leaving limited spaces for students to work through the night.
Mark Vaccaro, a senior accounting major, said he likes to study through the night for major assignments and big tests.
“For big tests, I like to study through the night to make sure I have everything down to a tee,” Vaccaro said. “Living on-campus last year was a lot easier because I could just walk home to [Devereux Hall], but this year it is so much harder having to get back to my townhouse and continue to be motivated.”
Students have been beseeching the school to have more 24/7 workspaces for years. Luke Gobel, a senior political science major, uses Café La Verna to get work done but is consistently asked to leave at 2 a.m.
Gobel also lives in townhouses and often stays up late to finish up papers and other various homework projects. He said Plassmann and other buildings close at such inconvenient times that he sometimes has trouble printing things out late at night.
“Throughout the last three years at my time at St. Bonaventure, I have been incredibly frustrated with the way this administration has dealt with the need of students and their interests,” Gobel said. “I think there has been more than enough interest from students having a 24-hour study space, and there is no excuse for why Plassmann, among other buildings, continues to be closed late at night. Although adding a 24-hour work space would require more staffers and security, the space would be extremely beneficial for students to get work done and relax, especially those who live off campus.”
By Matt Villanueva, Opinion Editor
villanjv18@bonaventure.edu
