Marvin Center Open for Night Owls

Taylor Lofquist ’10 can often works late at night in the College Republicans office on the fourth floor of the Marvin Center. As vice chairman of the organization and a dedicated student, Lofquist has plenty to keep her up late. So when she was kicked out of her workspace in the Marvin Center after closing hours, she was understandably frustrated.

“We are college students, we are up late working anyway and the late night hours are productive for us,” Lofquist said. “So why not have the Marvin Center open late?”

Lofquist and many others were pleased to learn that Marvin Center will now host new late night hours to cater to the growing demand for nighttime study space on campus. Formerly open only until midnight, the ground floor, Great Hall, Columbian Square, and the fourth floor are now open for student use until 2 a.m.

The limited late night study space has left many students frustrated in the past. During midterms and finals, space in Gelman Library and Duquès Hall is hard to come by. For part of the summer, Gelman closed at midnight, leaving students without any options besides their rooms. The addition of the Fishbowl student space on G Street has added study space, but students still asked for more options.

Lofquist is certain that many student organizations will take advantage of the hours. She noted that sometimes organizations can’t even start meetings until midnight because of scheduling issues and could not even access their offices at that hour.

Throughout the summer, discussions concerning the policy change took place between the Student Association and Marvin Center Governing Board (MCGB) about how to address the problem of limited available space. SA President Julie Bindelglass ‘11 and Vice President Jason Lifton ‘11 worked with MCGB Chairman Ethan Elser ‘10 and SA Representative to MCGB Jamie Bright ‘10, along with university administrators to tackle the problem.

“This is a really positive improvement to campus life,” said Bindelglass. “There is always a very visual demand for study space. It’s a creative way to (use the) space we have.”

Bindelglass said the implementation process involved looking at space used in the past, reviewing student input, considering the situation from an operational standpoint, and weighing the best possible options. The late hours will be open on a trial basis lasting until the end of the school year, after which the utilization of the space will be evaluated.

“It was a bit disappointing that it took so long, but the end result was positive so that’s great for us,” said Lofquist. “I think it is an accomplishment in that this is something that students wanted, and it ended up being implemented.”

Bindelglass was excited about the accomplishment, but stressed that the important thing is that it is serving the needs of the students.

“We really want to make accomplishments that aren’t for the SA, but rather are for students in general,” said Bindelglass. “I’m excited to be studying there with my friends. We’ve heard a lot of great feedback that this is something students want and will utilize.”