ith finals quickly approaching, many students will be pulling all-nighters, and the idea of a 24-hour library or café may not seem like a bad idea. Many students think that being able to get their coffee or sugar fix at two in the morning while working on a research paper that is due the next day sounds great.

Aside from finals and midterms, college can be a difficult time, and I cannot understate the stress that multiple assignments and exams put on students. While some believe that the extended hours would be a waste of resources and money that could be used elsewhere on campus, the academic needs of students should always be a top priority.

  Should Etown have 24-hour services including the cafeteria, store, library or gym? If so, should these special hours be in place all year round or just during finals/midterms?

First of all, every student has different sleep patterns and study habits. For some students, their most productive time of the day could be after midnight, while others are most productive in the afternoon. A 24-hour library or café would be very beneficial for students who either work better at night or are unable to come in during normal library hours. Students often have work in the evenings and classes during the day, or work during the day and classes at night. A resource such as a 24-hour library could be a vital asset to the late night student’s academic progress.

Some argue that the students getting kicked out of the library when it closes are at fault for putting themselves in a situation where they need to study at such a late hour. However, it is unrealistic to expect every student to get all of his or her studying and assignments finished during the day. Students should be allowed as much time in the library or café as they need so they can best manage their time and accommodate their busy schedules, without the stigma of “late night procrastinators” following them.

Michaela Lehane, a first-year at Etown, says not only will students benefit from a 24-hour service such as a library, but it will also help them out if there is a last minute crisis. “There is going to come a time where you forget to print out a paper or when you wake up in the middle of the night thinking ‘oh, I never printed my assignment that’s due tomorrow morning,’” Lehane said. The library doesn’t open on the weekdays until 7:45 a.m. and if you have an 8 a.m. class, fifteen minutes is not always going to be enough time to complete or print an assignment due for that class.

24-hour services could also be beneficial to international students, who tend to work late and take the opportunity to contact family in another time zone. This would assist these students in avoiding the challenges of calling home in the residence halls during quiet hours.

Having a 24-hour gym would be beneficial for early birds and night owls. If our fitness center were available at all times, it would let students exercise when it is convenient for them. They wouldn’t have to plan their day around what hours the gym is open, and it would make it easier for students to avoid busy times. This effort would also promote health and wellness among students.

There is, however, a downside to having 24-hour facilities. The biggest question is where we would get the money to keep these facilities running, and who would staff them. Carnegie Mellon University recently opened one of their libraries as a 24-hour library. A majority of the money came from alumni donations. Would this work for Etown, and would students or staff members be willing to take a graveyard shift?

Lindsay Sympson, a first-year at Etown, believes that it would. “I would love if they had 24 hours at the library, and I think some students would be willing to work the later shifts. A lot of positions in the library are in high demand and I’m sure there are students who would want to work early in the morning.”

Would it be worth it for the College to extend the 24-hour availability to its facilities all year, instead of just during finals and midterms? If the extended hours were implemented at any of these facilities, it would go a long way in helping students not only get through midterms and finals, but also be beneficial to meeting the needs of the students during the semester.