Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that Bookmark Caf+â-¬ at Bracken Library will be open until midnight Monday through Thursday next week, not Sunday through Wednesday.
-á
People who study late at night for finals no longer have to go to Bracken Library armed with their own stock of caffeinated drinks.
Dining Services has decided to keep Bookmark Caf+â-¬ in Bracken open late during finals week.
The caf+â-¬ will be open two and a half hours later than its normal 9:30 p.m. closing time, shutting its doors at midnight Monday through Thursday during Finals Week.
Earlier:
Both Elizabeth Poore, dining's assistant director of operations, and Nicole MacLean, the Student Government Association senator directly responsible for orchestrating the change, said students have been requesting the caf+â-¬ extend its hours for years.
"It's something we've heard from our constituent - that they want it open later all the time," the freshman marketing major said. "We understand that's a huge cost on [dining] and without any trials, it's unrealistic, so we just asked for the four nights."
Poore said dining isn't sure whether Bookmark Caf+â-¬ will make a profit during its extended hours, but it has shifted employee schedules and bought more products in anticipation of next week.
"The students want it, and it sounded like a really good idea, so we're going to try to do it this year and see what happens," Poore said. "It's good to try things and see what works, so that's our main objective."
While Suzanne Rice, assistant dean for public services for University Libraries, said data show library attendance isn't significantly greater during finals week than it is the rest of the semester, she said she has noticed that students tend to stay at the library longer.
"Most people are studying, getting ready for finals," Rice said. "And we're happy to provide the space for them where they can do that. ... We're here whenever anybody needs us."
Poore said the library also extends its hours for finals, staying open until midnight on Fridays the two weeks before finals to better benefit the average of 4,000 students who visit it on average each day.
To help people studying for Fall Semester finals, SGA offered students a coffee bar in the library from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. to compensate for Bookmark Caf+â-¬'s early closure. SGA will not offer the bar this semester, because it succeeded in getting the caf+â-¬'s hours extended.
"Trust me, we are over the moon about having Bookmark Caf+â-¬ open for finals week," MacLean said. "My goal for next semester, if it goes well, is to see if we can do it again for finals week, and then maybe sitting down and talking to them about making it a permanent change."
Read More
Point-by-point evaluation for Gassensmith & Lindstrand’s Student Government Administration
By Meghan Braddy / 0 minutes agoThe Gassensmith & Lindstrand administration, consisting of Joseph Gassensmith and Monet Lindstrand, was in charge of Ball State University’s Student Government Association (SGA) for the 2023-24 academic year. The pair served as president and vice president.
Students gather to protest for Palestine at Frog Baby Fountain
By Staff Reports / YesterdayA student-led protest kicked off near Frog Baby at 4 p.m. May 1 in solidarity with Palestine amidst the country’s conflict with Israel.
The eyes and ears of the David Owsley Museum of Art
By Madelyn Bracken / April 26, 2024The David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA) doesn’t only house art. For many Ball State University students, it houses opportunity. Graduate and social media assistant, and former DOMA intern and guard, Taylor Hamblin spent the past two years working at the museum surrounded with possibilities to further her career while at Ball State.
