According to Stevens Police, The Howe Center, which was previously open 24/7, has now shifted into only being open during the operational hours of Pierce Dining Hall, as well as select additional hours past when Pierce closes early, such as on weekends. Why did this change occur, and what consequences does this change bring?
Howe is no longer available due to the removal of the 24/7 security desk in the Howe lobby. The Stute has discussed this in a previous article written by Matthew Kearny, which goes into some detail over why this change occurred, mainly taking note on how Howe was not intended to be a place to maintain policing and security, as well as noting how removing the security desk helped increase flow throughout the first floor of the building. With the security desk removed, there was no explicit reason for why Howe needed to stay open 24/7.
Howe-ever (pun intended), there are consequences that come with not keeping Howe open 24/7. Commuter student Takekuni Tanemori stated that with Howe closed, it negatively affects commuter students who are seeking a place to wait during the early and late hours of the day. They use the lobby specifically as a place to sit, eat, or take naps as they wait for their next classes or clubs before having to head home later. In addition, the Howe building was also a place where students could work on projects late into the night in peace and quiet. Though the UCC lounges and study rooms are good places to study, it is restricted to residents of the UCC dorms. Currently, Tanemori is in contact with the Dean of Students Kenneth Nilsen in hopes for a potential solution for commuter students. Originally, Howe was the only building that could offer this 24/7 amenity to commuter students, being a place to go at any time. With Howe’s changing hours, now the latest public indoor space available to any student is the library, which closes at 2am on weeknights.
