A story in the Newton North student newspaper the Newtonite reports on what sounds like an overcrowding problem at the school’s library.
Students are expressing confusion and annoyance towards a rule in the Library Learning Commons (LLC) that enables librarians to kick students out if they are not doing work. Despite frustrations, librarians will continue to enforce it.
According to librarian Erin Dalbec, the LLC policy is to ask any students who are not working to leave when other students who plan to do work need space. Students who talk with friends, play games, or watch Netflix in the LLC can be kicked out, she said.
But the article continues…
Many students are unaware of this situation, and some are frustrated when asked to leave the library. “There’s nowhere else for us to go. We get yelled at for being in the hallway,” said junior Angela Buras.
Students are not allowed to sit or congregate on Main Street during free blocks, so many are left without a place to go. According to Dalbec, students should go to the cafeteria, which is always open.
However, not all students agree that the cafeteria is a sufficient alternative to the library, and some are angered that the library is not always an option, according to senior Grace Choi.
The cafeteria is “simply too crowded and noisy, and there’s this atmosphere of camaraderie,” said Choi. “The purpose of the cafeteria is for people to meet up with friends they don’t see otherwise, so it’s really expected that you be social,” she added.
For all that money, they couldn’t include a student lounge? If you’re going to give kids free blocks of time, you need to give them places to spend their time, and that should include someplace relatively quiet.
What about the auditorium/theater?
@Sallee,
I imagine that the auditorium/theatre has no staff working there all the time. I think letting kids hang there unsupervised is a recipe for disaster.
Letting them hang in the halls sounds worse…An auditorium monitor sounds like a reasonable alternative!
ok this is going to date me but when i was at South, 15 years ago, we could leave on our free blocks. Is that not an option anymore?
Luba,
At Newton South freshman MUST stay on campus. . . . not sure when open campus starts.
Ok I think I had to do study hall for free blocks freshman year 🙂