[absturgill]

For 3 years when I was at Liberty, the computer lab was in the Science Hall and was not open much past 10:00. When it was in the science hall and with those hours, for the most part it was just people who were doing work and not much else. Plus at the time, LU had 50 computers max in that lab.

My last year and a half at LU was when it was in the location it is now. With that and the coffee shop there, it just adds to the lounge, hangout atmosphere. The Starbucks there just led to people viewing it as a hangout and that spilled over to the computers.

Just my insights

[thepostman]

I know its not LUPD's fault for action needing to be taken, but they need to step up to the plate here. Like I said before being understaffed is not a good excuse....everything Liberty related is understaffed and things still run...LUPD is understaffed overnights...my question is what is it they do overnight that makes them so busy??? Why can't two officers make their way up to the computer lab from the hours 12 to 2? I think these would be the hours in which there are the most problems, at least the few times I have been up there overnight that seems to be the case....its 2 hours out of the night.....LUPD annoys me to no end...I am not one of those they gave me a ticket for parking in the blue diamonds kind of students...there are plenty of stories I can tell when I was just trying to help them do their job in finding the problem with things where they just either A. yell at me and talk to me as if I am being disrespeful or 2. completely ignore me.....

ok, LUPD rant is over....for now

[mrmacphisto]

The point I was trying to insinuate in my last post was that the solution is relatively simple (if not entirely realistic): get rid of curfew.

By getting rid of curfew, you transfer a significant portion of the policing duties from LUPD to the LPD. In addition, you will noticeably decrease the amount of traffic and incidents in the ILRC, easing the load on the lab attendants. Everyone's job gets easier, the lab can stay open for those who need it, and those who want to hang out after hours can go to Wal-Mart, Sheetz or Huddle House in Bedford if they want.

[SuperJon]

I'm personally an advocate of no curphew but I don't see it happening anytime soon. There'd be no way of stopping random people from staying overnight in the dorms and you'd never be able to "baby" people as much (i.e. keep them from partying, etc).

[thepostman]

it will happen in the next 5 years...Big JF is actually big on changing it...this shocks people

[Hold My Own]

Facebook grouups are popping up about this topic (CLab hours)


Curfew is discussed every year...it's just a matter of time...it'll prob happen soon...and when that day comes I wash my hands of LU


Ok Ok i cant wash my hands but i'll be upset

[A.G.]

it will happen in the next 5 years...Big JF is actually big on changing it...this shocks people

Yes. Getting rid of the curfew is a sure way of making LU more appealing=more students.

[LUconn]

it will happen in the next 5 years...Big JF is actually big on changing it...this shocks people

I heard that a lot. But then again I heard so much unverifiable crap that get passed around campus in 4 years that I really don't believe stuff like that. Even if you told me you asked the big man himself, I wouldn't believe you because it's 2nd hand to me. I'd have to hear if from JF directly.

[SuperJon]

it will happen in the next 5 years...Big JF is actually big on changing it...this shocks people

I've heard that for a while as well.

[PAmedic]

I just wanna see HMO throw himself on the floor, kicking and screaming in a hissy-fit

[A.G.]

[Hold My Own]

I second the JF thing...

[El Scorcho]

The Facebook groups are really irking me. It's funny how not being happy with curfew is being used as justification for the misuse of the computer lab. That kind of attitude is exactly why people ended up fighting with the ILRC workers, which is what caused the lab hours to change.

[mrmacphisto]

It's funny how not being happy with curfew is being used as justification for the misuse of the computer lab.

The fact remains that if you're the only place open and people don't want to go to bed, you're going to attract those people. It's not so much that people misuse the ILRC because of curfew; those people would likely be disruptive no matter where they ended up going. The fact is that by removing all other options for these people, they only have one place to misbehave.

[El Scorcho]

That's not true, though. Before the computer lab was open 24 hours a day, people didn't cause problems like that in the dorms. And if they did, LUPD would have been there to assist. Just because it was the only place open other than their residence halls is absolutely no justification for people misusing the ILRC. It is absolutely about that. It doesn't matter if it's because of curfew or if it's because of something else.

If we apply the logic of curfew being the problem to another example, the flaw is obvious. Resident students are only allowed to be in convocation from 10am until convocation is over, three days a week. That's the only place they can go during those hours without being in violation of the rules. Should they be able to do whatever they want during convocation just because that's their only option for a place to be? Absolutely not. Convocation has a purpose and students are there for that purpose.

The same goes for the ILRC. The ILRC is open late at night for a reason, and it has rules in place to make sure that students are using it for that reason. By breaking those rules, and because LUPD refused to be involved as they should have, the students left the ILRC with no alternative but to change their hours.

I've noticed on Facebook that the uproar over this has already descended into a "Liberty's rules are so stupid. We shouldn't have a rule about ___(insert least favorite rule here)____!" While I can buy that some students are legitimately upset because they were using the ILRC for it's intended purpose, the vast majority of those participating in these groups are people who complain about everything at LU, and are likely some of the same ones who refused to abide by the rules of the lab.

If these were rules akin to wearing ties and not attending a dance, I would be more understanding of the opinions of the students. However, in this case, they were given a choice in how to behave, and some chose to ruin it for everyone. That's life. Time to grow up a little.

[thepostman]

I just think its a shame that LUPD isn't helping out more so....I don't care if they say they are understaffed, this is an area that they are needed...they should make this a priority, have 2 officers in there a night...not a big deal....

[El Scorcho]

I don't get the LUPD thing, either. I mean, I understand them not having enough staff to do what they think they need to do, but this really seems like a no-brainer to me. I don't understand how they can refuse service to another department they way they have.

[thepostman]

I don't think that they really can...I think that if enough people go about this whole thing the right way then I think it could be changed. I live off campus and rarely ever need to be in the computer lab late at night...but there are those that need to be there, and at most colleges that have a 24 hour a day computer labs there is some police presence....but the most of these kids aren't listening, they just want to complain about rules and such. I went on the facebook groups and basically told them they need to go about things the right way and not just sit around and complain, someone told me i should leave the group if I don't agree with them...but the thing is I do think the computer lab should be opened 24 hours a day,but you have to look into the problems and be mature about the whole thing...liberty is full of short sited thinkers, and just want everything there way right now, no matter what or why they needed to change it...

The bottom line is, if a group of students get together and talk about the LUPD issue in the right way to administration, maybe they will try their best to change that department, but really i don't see that happening...I see people starting a petition without permission and getting reps because of it and then being more angry at Liberty....and nothing will ever get solved...

[mrmacphisto]

That's not true, though. Before the computer lab was open 24 hours a day, people didn't cause problems like that in the dorms. And if they did, LUPD would have been there to assist. Just because it was the only place open other than their residence halls is absolutely no justification for people misusing the ILRC. It is absolutely about that. It doesn't matter if it's because of curfew or if it's because of something else.

I had a feeling this argument would come up, and I thought about addressing it ahead of time, but decided to wait until someone brought it up.

The reason the problems didn't occur in the dorms is because the situation is more spread out, as opposed to the ILRC where it's more concentrated. In the ILRC, you have all the troublemakers in one place, with just two or three lab attendants to control them. When you spread all those people out amongst the dorms and put RAs on every hall, you've increased your enforcement power exponentially. If the troublemaker to RA ratio was similar in th ILRC, we wouldn't be discussing this right now.

[El Scorcho]

I don't think it's a matter of RA's being in the ILRC, either. When someone breaks the rules, the ILRC lab attendants ask them to quit, and then if they don't, they're asked to leave. Unfortunately the only people who can physically enforce someone being asked to leave are LUPD officers, not RA's or the ILRC staff. So, unless LUPD wanted to be involved in campus security, the ILRC was stuck.

[LUconn]

What would happen if LU were to block facebook? I'd love to watch the fallout.

[A.G.]

So, unless LUPD wanted to be involved in campus security, the ILRC was stuck.

God forbid that ever happens.

[thepostman]

What would happen if LU were to block facebook? I'd love to watch the fallout.

oh man...the students would riot....haha

[PAmedic]

[OLD HAG ALERT]


may I, once again, point out that we didn't HAVE computers- or TV for that matter- in the dorms back in our day.
actually, it wasn't until my sophomore year (?) of HIGH SCHOOL that I even SAW a PC: the old Apple IIc.


[/OLD HAG ALERT]

[thepostman]

hahahaha....well, nobody at LU would care to listen to that...computers are more needed these days since most classes require you to do something on them....the tv thing...i remember talking to a guy from my church graduated in 89 I think, and he was telling me how they use to have a tv hidden above the door....funny stuff...