Union keeping doors open all day, night

During finals week, the Student Union turns into  a  24-hour study hall with tutoring, food and extended computer lab hours.

Study Union is back for the fourth time, now through Monday at 11:59 p.m. The Student Union is open 24 hours for the next week to accommodate students studying for finals.

Adam Giery, marketing and sustainability coordinator for the Student Union, said Study Union began Sunday to promote students who are studying before finals.

"We're already in that mode," Giery said, referring to finals week. "The Union is already set up for that study space."

The Union has not always been a popular hangout location during finals. Before Study Union started, the Union was averaging about 20,000 students during finals week.

When the program started in the fall of 2008, students used the facility an average of 80,000 times, Giery said. A year later, that number jumped to 124,000, according to Giery.

Giery is hoping to have 250,000 students per academic year.

The Student Academic Resource Center is holding 33 tutoring sessions in the Student Union this week, said Ken Staack, SARC coordinator.

Sessions will be all group tutoring. Anywhere from 200 to 500 students per session are expected to attend some of the big-class groups, Staack said.

Instead of the usual dry-erase boards or old-school projectors, SARC is using Elmo overheads, also known as document cameras, Staack said.

The Elmo overheads have a much larger screen so that people, especially in the back of the room, will be able to see better, Staack said.

Giery said the new technology is an advanced doc cam, and it's a way to increase tutoring for students because it gives a clear picture of what is shown. Other doc cams still blur, but the Elmo can clearly convey the message to all the students, he said.

Brittany Heidemann, a senior psychology major, thinks the number of review sessions could be beneficial, but she won't be taking advantage of them. The classes that she is taking are not offered in the tutoring, she said.

Heidemann said she is thrilled to have Study Union but is not using it this semester because she prefers the library. The Union is too busy and loud for her.

"But that's just the way it's constructed," she said.

She is not the only person to complain about the lack of quiet in the Union.

When students pick up a free Scantron, Bluebook or writing utensil, they are asked to fill out a 10-question survey.

The surveys go directly to Giery, and after reading comments from last semester, he noticed a trend of students wanting more quiet space. So this semester, the entire second floor of the Union is reserved for quiet studying.

"If we can't provide the space that students need, it'll impede our productivity," Giery said.

He said the Student Union is looking for students to help police areas. People can also report any study disturbances to building managers that are around.

Other ways that the Union is helping students throughout the week is by offering Recreation and Wellness Center exercise courses, Giery said.

The Student Government Association computer lab is also open 24 hours, but the Express Print Lab has regular hours.

SGA sponsored three free midnight breakfasts: Wackadoo's on Monday and Wednesday nights, Asian Chao on Tuesday night.

The fourth will be Subway and Smoothie King on Thursday night.

And for coffee lovers, Joffrey's Coffee & Tea Company is offering free coffee during the week.

The shop is open 24 hours during finals.

Giery said that the Union's goal is to help students during this stressful time in the semester, which is why so many people work around the clock preparing and running Study Union.

The Student Union employs a 90-person student staff.

"If I have to use all 90 staff to make Study Union happen, I'm asking 90 students to sacrifice their grades," Giery said. "We try to keep things as efficient and simple as possible."