shoebox10

For you College folks, sorry, I mean Clark Hall. Engineers, you know the depths of h#ll we call Brown Stacks...

Anyways, so I know everyone knows about the study rooms and stuff in the actually library, and even the one or two that exist in Clark Hall. A friend of mine has a "contact" in Clark that knows the codes to the conference rooms that they keep sealed shut, all the time, that are equally as good for a few students to run into and use the computer-to-TV-connection to get some group work done. Three of us used one last night and left it in perfect condition.
Come today, Brown's packed, we needed quiet but be able to talk amongst ourselves at whatever moment/length/normal volume to help each other with topics. So, we found another conference room upstairs and were quiet, used the TV correctly, and were keeping it clean. In rolls this professor-looking guy who basically chews us out for being in there, demanded to know how we got the code, and said we're not supposed to be in there at all. He basically made it seem like if we were caught again, he'd write us up for honor code (I guess for knowing the door code...breaking and entering a public college?). Then, he was like "well i'm just going to have to change the codes, again".

Here's my rant: conference rooms are for conferencing. Meeting. Etc. Why should students be banned from these rooms when they're already hard to find? Also, he said that students were trashing the place and damaging things. Fine. Install cameras, or better yet, Honor Code the room and make any students in the room sign a pledge to clean up after themselves. But I find it insane that I can't use a room that any faculty can swing in and easily destroy it (yes, students are more likely to do this, but what's to say a couple of grad students or professors don't accidentally leave their trash or put a dent in the wall?). Just because stuff has happened in the past because a few get rowdy doesn't mean a vital tool should be taken away from everyone. I feel like I'm in high school again. Jefferson stood by the mixing of professors and students, and while faculty do need some of their own areas, I think letting great study rooms sit around and waste away is dumb. And, I don't appreciate being chewed out by some guy when he has no idea that we're legitimate students who had gotten 3 hours of sleep and just needed somewhere quiet to study tough engineering stuff. And, not be intimidated for searching for/locating an optimal study environment to succeed because not enough rooms like these are available. He just assumed we'd trash the place and seemed like he really wanted to take the matter further towards discipline.

Anyways, I'm planning to write a letter to the EVSC dept head, or the Dean. Or both. If anyone has run into similar issues, or has suggestions on how to mediate this, do chip in. Current students obviously might understand more, but frankly, accepted students are part of this school too and might have a few ideas from their high school. I don't think they should be advertised, but for those who want them, they should be available.