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Media Union policies restrict students

I must say I am impressed with the architecture of the Media Union, and the smoothness with which it has been integrated to the other buildings of North Campus. However, it always raises some concerns.

The spirit of North Campus has always been that the students are trusted and respected. The Media Union policies are violating this feeling of trust by restricting student access to the building and the general interior design of the building.

The restricted hours of the building is not an encouraging sign of times to come. It has always seemed odd that the students of this University are required to pay for the construction and maintenance of buildings that we are only allowed access to during restricted hours.

The interior of the building surprised me when I discovered that there were escalators, but then I found the catch. None of the elevators are usable from the first floor, and the escalators are apparently last on the list of things to be completed in the never-ending construction of the building. The emphasis on security is rather excessive considering that the usual purpose of a campus building is to serve the students, not to enforce zones of control by various University splinter groups.

Also, it vexes me that the Media Union has asked all of the students studying and passing through the building not to bring food or drink with them. I feel this is a very hypocritical decision for the administrators of the building considering that there are in fact kitchens in the building for the administrators. I feel that the inability of students to have food and drink in a building that they will be asked to maintain is bad policy, but the fact that non-students are allowed to eat their lunch in the building.

If these policies continue, I will have no choice but to voice my concerns through more official channels. Perhaps a student petition might be in order, although this University traditionally ignores any desires of undergraduate students. However, I am sure that there will be more than a few people annoyed at such policies, and eventually someone will have to take notice.

NATHAN RAWLING