Approximately one hundred individuals sit motionless in a fugue state as images flash before their nearly lifeless eyes and one person drones on in seemingly incomprehensible syllables. Few of these people have been afforded the luxury of a shower in the last 24 hours, and they’re lucky if they can manage to stomach some coffee to curb their morning hunger before being ushered into a large yet dimly lit room.
No, this is not the scene of a homeless shelter in a poverty-stricken city, but rather an 8 a.m. lecture hall.
I do realize that being summoned to class early in the morning when I’d prefer to sleep in is about as first-world as a problem can get, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth questioning.
Whose schedule am I adhering to when I need to traverse all of campus to get to my biology lab at 8 a.m.? I don’t know of anybody that celebrates the opportunity to awaken at the crack of dawn in order to get to class on time.
What about when I have to interrupt my studies because I’m kicked out of the library at midnight? Oh, and if I’d like to eat after being kicked to the curb of FLITE, I won’t be doing so at The Rock, which also closes its doors at midnight.
The population of a college campus is predominantly young adults between the ages of 18-22. This same demographic is certainly not known for making the early-bird special at the local diner, so why does the university treat us as if we wake up bright and early and retire to bed immediately after the 8:30 p.m. showing of “Wheel of Fortune” on basic cable?
Sure, there are some professors that commute to campus that have families waiting for them back home, so it’s unreasonable to expect them to offer their entire morning, afternoon and evening to their students. However, students are the ones paying at the very least $382 per credit hour, so shouldn’t we dictate when we get out of bed so long as it’s reasonable?
This campus seems to operate on a schedule that doesn’t suit its lifeblood and purpose, also known as its students.
How can Ferris expect its students to routinely make good choices when Shooters stays open hours later than the library? Admittedly, there may be few people who would choose FLITE over Shooters even if they had comparable hours, but Ferris isn’t even allowing them the option as of now, and that’s a problem.