Don’t Study in the J-School After Midnight…Or Else
So, there you are, studying for your finals in the Missouri School of Journalism, when suddenly the police approach you. You need to get out, they say, you’re trespassing.
Sounds scary, right? That was just the situation several J-Schoolers found themselves in last night, and it might happen again tonight if you are caught in the journalism school after midnight.
It’s that time of year again, when Mizzou’s J-School launches its traditional half-hearted attempt to get you J-Schoolers to not be in the journalism school all hours of the night. It will inevitably fail, but the dance goes on, year after year! Their attempts are as predictable as Victoria’s Secret semi-annual sale, and last about as long.
The reason why it makes sense to keep the journalism school open later during Finals are obvious, but I reached out to one of the students who was kicked out of the journalism school by the University of Missouri Police last night for comment.
“It’s the week before finals, which means we have a lot of projects due, and a lot of the programs aren’t available on our computers or at Ellis Library,” said Convergence Junior Anna Burkart (full disclosure: Burkart is my girlfriend).
Memorial Union has special hours during Finals. So does Ellis Library. Why not let students in the incredibly rigorous Missouri School of Journalism use the facilities for an extra few hours a couple times a year?
An anonymous tipster forwarded us this email from Convergence Professor Karen Mitchell that was sent out to the entire sequence, which explains just why:
This is just a reminder that the RJI building and the complex of buildings it’s in are CLOSED after midnight. There should be NO STUDENTS in the building after the J Library closes, which is midnight during the week. MUPD now patrols this complex at night to make sure the building is empty after hours. This is our standard procedure and will continue during finals week. If you need to work late then you need to go to a different place, such as Ellis Library, which has extended hours.
Please remember that these rules are in place for your safety. We don’t want student in the building at times when we don’t have the building staffed.
Questions? See a faculty or staff member.
Honestly, I bet Mitchell could have just copy and pasted that message from an email she sent to the entire sequence last year. Or the year before that.
Don’t worry, J-Schoolers, we’ve seen this movie one too many times, and we know how the whole thing goes: J-Schoolers ignore the warning, some get busted by the police, J-Schoolers complain loudly, J-School administration ignores students but stops trying to enforce these dumb rules after a few days. Life goes on, and you repeat the cycle every Finals Week until you graduate.
So watch out for the police if you’re in the J-School tonight. And send us more info (or pics) if you get busted: Tips [at] JSchoolBuzz [dot] com.
[Image of Oregon SWAT Team, via]
Using your significant other as a source, Teeghman? lol you would.
In any case, I wonder if they’re most worried about security, what with all the equipment inside, but then again, if MUPD has the time to “patrol the complex at night,” perhaps something can be worked out?
Or maybe administrators should just try spending a night in the J-School so they can see how fun it is!
I know, I break all the sacred journalism rules.
Actually, I don’t think the police have ever been involved before. I know BSB sent out some emails in the past regarding students propping open doors, which was a big no-no, but I’ve never heard of actually getting kicked out. I thought BSB actually said it was OK to have students inside?
Anywhoo, the photo lab is open as long as you can get inside and I’m pretty sure it has the same programs.
I’ve definitely been kicked out of the J-School late at night, albeit not by the police. But I kept hearing as an undergrad that students were getting kicked out of the building by police. Thanks for the tip on the Photo Lab.