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Library Hours & Computer Access
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and a place for reader comment)
UPDATE!
Beginning November 6, Renfro Computer Labs A and B were reopened for evening use - hours to be from 9 p.m.until 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday under the supervision of a Lab Attendant.
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Dear Editor,
Being the Freshmen President involves hearing a lot of issues with which students are concerned with. Library hours being continually cut is a major issue that is being brought up to my attention. The computer lab on campus was once open up until the early morning hours, and is not available to access as much now. Students are continually asking me to bring this issue up in SGA about the computer hours and usage problems that they are having. In SGA, we are working on computer hours issues and trying to get the IT to have another place other than the library that has computer access for us to use. There was a survey conducted and is shown on a recent Hilltop article that states that 80% of the students living in dorms have their own computers. This leaves 20% that have no other place to go other than the library to do their research. The SGA Treasurer, Maryanne Brown, conducted a separate survey. Ninety-seven percent of the students that were polled want their library computer lab back.
Dean Goforth says that the reasoning for the library hours being cut is because of the misusage of the computers. An example of this is students using Facebook on the school computers instead of doing something productive. The question is, is there anything wrong with looking at Facebook? Are their rules against this? Logically, if you see someone using Facebook, and there are no other computers available and you have a paper due it's not hard to tap someone on the shoulder and nicely ask "Can I please use this computer for 30 minutes, because I have a paper that is due and I have no computer anywhere else?" Is is not unreasonable to expect us to be diplomatic with one another.
Dean Goforth said that he is "looking at the library hours, and SGA is also looking at the library hours." Several SGA representatives have been meeting with administrators and trying to get a solution to this problem. Please keep addressing this issue. It is something that the Student Body is really trying their best to find a solution for and is really concerned with.
Thank you, Sable Adams
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Hey, my name is Joshua McDowell and I'm a student at Mars Hill College, I would like to address an occurring problem at the college. I believe that Mars Hill College should extend the hours in the library simply because of extra circular activities that students are involved in, and just for a quiet place in study.
In my case, I play football and when I get done with practice I have to go straight to the café' for dinner, then go to the room. While I'm doing my homework, I remember that it was supposed to be typed and that's when the library would come in handy! For example this happened to me just the other day. I was sitting at my computer typing a paper for English class like any other ordinary day, when my computer ll of a sudden shut off on me. I just wanted to throw my computer out of the window but I knew I wouldn't have a source of a computer after ten o'clock, if you didn't know.
Also, the library would be essential because of the resources of the books and the librarians' knowledge and help. I remember one night around about nine-thirty, when I was in my room, I realized that I was supposed to write a paper on a Hilltop article but it had slipped my mind. I ran as fast as I could to the library. When I got there it was nine forty-five and the librarian just shook her head at me and said" I'm sorry we're closing." I begged her to let me in but she just replied with "I have to abide by the rules." Now, in this incident the library should stay open as long a student needs some kind of help or resource, the library should be available.
It could also be helpful when you have a noisy roommate and need a quiet place just to study and get their work done. The library should be available at all times in the case of a last minute change on an essay or just research for a paper.
I have told you a few important issues why I think the library should stay open at all times. I would have a stronger conclusion but as you probably know it's about time for the library to close so sorry, if you make a change in the time next time it will stronger. Thank You for your time!
Sincerely, Josh McDowell
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The Mars Hill College community is very supportive of a lot of things that athletes do. But there is one questions lingers in my mind: do they care about our academics? And the reason why I say this is because the library closes at ten o'clock and I just don't feel that these are good enough hours. I have seen people come in after they get out of their sports practices and need three to four hours of studying the library, but don't get it because they close so early. Student athletes just don't want to have that title, they also want to be scholars in the classroom. And with us wanting to become scholar athletes, they should close the library at one o'clock instead of ten.
I was in a situation once already at MHC were I needed the library and only got in there for about twenty minutes because they were about to close. So I had to fight and claw to get my paper done in order to turn it in that next day.
The people of MHC need to realize this also because if library hours were extended it would make life better for everyone, including myself. I wonder have they really taken the time to assess the situation, break it down and really see what we are lacking? That's more library hours. This is a school of great distinction and high academic standards, so why not act like it by changing something as simple as the hours in the library.
More hours would be greatly appreciated from the people that don't have computers in their dorm. When the library closes, they have to find people and ask them to use their computers. What if they are writing a paper or doing research on something in a class? Then they are basically stuck in a tight bind until a computer opens up. I just feel like more library hours can happen and it should happen.
The next time you feel like you didn't have enough time in the library, know that people like me are fighting for that. - Antonio Lyerly
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