On Monday, January 20, the library was closed because of Martin Luther King Day. The Link connecting Rubloff Hall and McCarthy Hall was without the heat.
The Residence Life department of Saint Xavier University posted signs on each side asking that students keep the doors open. Residence Life also posted signs on the thermostats controlling the heat in the Link, which are usually used by students.
These signs asked students to not turn on the heat. Since before residents moved in, Residence Life informed students about pipes that had burst in Rubloff hall and at 10140 South Pulaski over break because of the cold temperatures.
This led to “temporary loss of heat” in those two buildings and the “extended loss of heat in the Link.” Since then the heat has been restored in Rubloff and 10140 South Pulaski.
Katy Thompson, Director of Residence Life, said the following, “We are aware of the problem with the heating in the link. We are working with Facilities to fix it, but the work that has to be done is outside and expensive. As soon as we have a more solid idea of what’s going on and when it is going to happen, we will let students know.”
However the Link remains without heat. This is has a significant impact on students since it is the largest study space available in the Quad. Those students that chose to weather the cold Link had to bring sweaters, scarves and even blankets with them. There was more students in the study area located on the first floor of McCarthy Hall than usual, perhaps due to their unwillingness to freeze in the Link.
Sophomore Communication student, Andreas Pfatschbacher, commented, “It is too cold to study in the link and no I have no other place to work now.” Andreas went on to cite the lack of study space at the residence halls at Saint Xavier University.
Currently there are the following study areas in the residence halls: Starbucks, the Regina lobby known as the Rec Center, the Rubloff lobby, the McCarthy lobby, and the Link.
Since the library was closed on Monday the only places available to students were those. However, Andreas noted that he did not have access to Regina with his cougar card and Starbucks was too noisy.
In order for students who do not live in Regina to use the study area in Regina they must have someone let them in or walk after someone since they do not have access with their own cougar cards.
The remaining two study areas, the first floor lobbies of Rubloff and McCarthy halls, are small spaces that can accommodate no more than 25 students combined.
The lack of study spaces available to resident students is not a new issue at Saint Xavier University. Many residents of Rubloff Hall feel hard done by their dormitory’s lack of study space.
For Terrance Matterson, a junior Education student at Saint Xavier University, even the venture through the large amounts of snow to any study area was too much.
He said, “It is ridiculous that there isn’t any space to study in this hall at all, I would expect at least a couple of workstations. Plus we can’t even swipe into Regina to use that space.”
On most days this not an issue, but on days with situations like a broken heater or extreme weather, a significant amount of students can be displaced.
Brandon Simones, a junior resident at Saint Xavier University, said, “Study space is already hard to come by and with situations like this I’m sure some people were left without a place to study. I’m lucky that I have no homework or that its not finals week, because then we’d be in a lot of trouble.”
David Rodrigues
News Editor
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