_Regan Huston is a freshman journalism major at MU. She is an opinion columnist that writes about student politics for The Maneater._
Ellis Library’s hours have been a widely debated issue. Because of budget issues last year, students were given the option to add a library fee to tuition that would permanently extend library hours. But with a small majority, the fee was voted against and library hours were forced to shorten. This meant that students could not use Ellis’ resources 24 hours a day, five days a week anymore. Last year’s vote is causing students to suffer this year with fewer options to maintain their educational focus.
When the bill was initially introduced, students claimed that their understanding of the situation was unclear. The greatest concern was the additional cost that would rack onto tuition, depending on how many credit hours a student was taking. Many students felt as though this added charge was unnecessary and that it was not their responsibility to cover operation costs of the library.
The new hours were implemented at the start of this semester. Ellis now closes at midnight Sunday through Thursday and at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Since then, there has been an outpouring of students protesting the change. An upperclassman started a petition in order to reinstate Ellis’ 24-hour policy. This issue is a little frustrating for the Missouri Students Association because if the outcome would have been considered fully by students last year, this process could have been avoided overall.
It is understandable for students to feel upset over an increase in tuition, but an exceptional education does come with a cost. If Ellis Library is struggling financially and is not able to meet the demands of its patrons, then a solution has to be found and agreed upon.
MSA Senate Speaker Mark McDaniel insists that MSA hears the demands of students, and is discussing the opportunity to vote again sometime soon. Ellis Library is a great place to turn to study or focus, but this issue is much greater than that. It reveals that the student body needs to take better care and more responsibility in the way it handles decisions. To make the most out of our education, we must be cognizant of the financial changes that occur on our campus.
This instance also emphasizes that MSA has a greater responsibility in ensuring that all undergrad students are aware of what changes are coming. The situation may be viewed as repetitive of last year, but it’s plausible that with better communication on MSA’s end, this could have been avoided entirely.
The important thing here is that the student body and government are able to work together and listen to each other, something that has to keep getting better. With more transparency on MSA’s part and dedication from the student body, situations similar to the outrage over Ellis’ hours can be solved more efficiently. Our education is something to which we are dedicating years of our lives and bank accounts, so let’s take decisions like this seriously by listening to and expressing concerns more often.