Issue: After a month-long trial to keep The Union open until 2 a.m., staff decided to return to the midnight closing time, effective in two weeks

 

Sometimes you just have to try things.

That’s what the Student Union Activity Council chose to do, and we fully support their actions. By implementing a month-long trial, two things were accomplished: student requests were heard and a rushed decision on a costly commitment was avoided.

It would have been easy to ignore the Students’ Association’s requests. Adding an extra two hours comes at a cost, considering staff time and utilities usage. But they didn’t. It would have been easy to assume students would stay an extra two hours, and the decision could have been made without a trial. But it wasn’t.

Midnight makes sense. For one, students need sleep. Of course closing The Union does not put them to bed, but it at least encourages healthy sleeping habits. Also, studying until 2 a.m. — which was the main purpose of the extended hours — should not be encouraged on a regular basis. An extension the week prior and during finals week is understandable, since cramming is a part of the college experience, but not every night.

A trial run was a smart idea. It provided the necessary information without a permanent commitment. And to be honest, the results did not surprise us. We, the Collegian staff, are frequently the last to leave the building on Tuesday nights. When we walk to the doors, there might be a person napping by the fireplace or nodding off in front of their laptop, but that’s about it. Rarely was there ever anyone in The Union past 12:30 a.m., which is close enough to the midnight closing time, so keeping it open until 2 a.m. was not feasible.

The Union is a building for the students. The university’s website calls it “SDSU’s living room.” The staff who run the building did an excellent job of keeping that the focus. They didn’t waste money, and they didn’t ignore students.

They did try something out and acted upon the results.

 

Stance: The Union staff handled the situation effectively and wisely. Closing time should remain at midnight.