When the library cut its hours and students were upset, we didn’t think about going to Student Government. I didn’t have any faith in them to do anything about it and, quite frankly, neither did many of the 1,500 students in the Facebook group that we started in response to the situation.

When SG had a forum, Tyler (Montell) and Grant (Mills) tried to offer some solutions and every person shot them down. We broke down the decision, service by service, and it was clear that from circulations to Internet access, students need everything the W.T. Young Library has to offer.

Although there were several possible options mentioned, such as opening the Fine Arts Library during the times of 2 to 7 a.m., we were told that it would cost the same amount to open it as it would to keep the W.T. Young Library open, considering the major costs came from staffing and not utilities, which added up to a total of $30,000.

We sent SG off with one demand, and that was to get our library back open. Much to everyone’s surprise, however, SG did what students asked them to do, and now, starting Sunday we will have people in the library at 4 a.m. to prove it. They just did what they were supposed to do — they don’t deserve a medal or anything. At the same time though, I do not think they deserved the treatment they got from the Kernel in Thursday’s paper.

There is no question that they did the right thing. They identified the problem, listened to students, gathered the issues, developed a solution to satisfy the demands of students and worked with the administration to get it done. For once SG did something great. I just think it’s only right you tell it that way.

Christin Lang

Integrated strategic communications junior