Library to scour for trespassers
Security joins staff to aid in hunt for students attempting linger in library after hours following finals incident
Mark Hensch
Issue date: 1/29/09 Section: News
When Mossey Library employees perform their closing rounds every night, they will now be accompanied by college security guards. A group of students prompted the measure by throwing two overnight parties in the library last semester. The students hid during closing time, then watched movies, played tag and held public readings.
"We are having fun with the notion that Hillsdale can control us," a female freshman said. "This is our way to damn 'the man.' "
Frustrated by Hillsdale's lack of a 24-hour student meeting place, the group took matters into its own hands by turning the closed library into its private playground, beginning in late October.
"Everything else was closed so we just wanted to try it," another female freshman said. "I think if there was a place open 24 hours it would not have been thought up."
She said the group first conceived the idea out of boredom. After some careful planning, the group arranged a hideout for a few scouts. These initial trespassers would open the closed library for the others, letting them inside. From here, she said, the group watched the movie "Goodbye, Lenin," read "Alice in Wonderland" aloud and played a variation of tag in which participants leapt from desk to desk trying not to touch the ground.
"This was about reckless abandon," a male freshman said. "It was a 'why not?' moment."
After the first lock-in, the group lingered in the library around finals week in December. That night they narrowly escaped punishment by convincing custodians who found them that they had overslept while studying for finals and missed the library's closing.
Though they believed the students, the custodians reported the incident to library administration, hoping to prevent students from staying after-hours for any reason.
Alongside security, library employees now check every nook, cranny and bookcase for stragglers before locking up.
"By being in a place that is closed, students doing something like this break the library rules and the honor code too," said Mossey Library Director Dan Knoch. "The lack of any damage does not excuse the behavior and students are not supposed to be here after a certain time."
Director of Campus Security Mike Wertz said his office will cooperate with the library staff in all future closings. Now at least one security officer will help close Mossey every night, he said.
"The library is important given the level of patronage, proximity to central campus, and the valuable, sometimes irreplaceable, physical inventory in the library itself," Wertz said. "Now that there have been times when students have been found in the building after hours, we will simply assist the library staff with securing the building."
But a male freshman said these efforts my not put an end to his group's hangouts. He said the group is wary of getting in trouble or causing damage - they only want to have fun.
"We respect Hillsdale as they provide a lot for us," he said. "It was not a destructive party. We just want to shake things up."
"We are having fun with the notion that Hillsdale can control us," a female freshman said. "This is our way to damn 'the man.' "
Frustrated by Hillsdale's lack of a 24-hour student meeting place, the group took matters into its own hands by turning the closed library into its private playground, beginning in late October.
"Everything else was closed so we just wanted to try it," another female freshman said. "I think if there was a place open 24 hours it would not have been thought up."
She said the group first conceived the idea out of boredom. After some careful planning, the group arranged a hideout for a few scouts. These initial trespassers would open the closed library for the others, letting them inside. From here, she said, the group watched the movie "Goodbye, Lenin," read "Alice in Wonderland" aloud and played a variation of tag in which participants leapt from desk to desk trying not to touch the ground.
"This was about reckless abandon," a male freshman said. "It was a 'why not?' moment."
After the first lock-in, the group lingered in the library around finals week in December. That night they narrowly escaped punishment by convincing custodians who found them that they had overslept while studying for finals and missed the library's closing.
Though they believed the students, the custodians reported the incident to library administration, hoping to prevent students from staying after-hours for any reason.
Alongside security, library employees now check every nook, cranny and bookcase for stragglers before locking up.
"By being in a place that is closed, students doing something like this break the library rules and the honor code too," said Mossey Library Director Dan Knoch. "The lack of any damage does not excuse the behavior and students are not supposed to be here after a certain time."
Director of Campus Security Mike Wertz said his office will cooperate with the library staff in all future closings. Now at least one security officer will help close Mossey every night, he said.
"The library is important given the level of patronage, proximity to central campus, and the valuable, sometimes irreplaceable, physical inventory in the library itself," Wertz said. "Now that there have been times when students have been found in the building after hours, we will simply assist the library staff with securing the building."
But a male freshman said these efforts my not put an end to his group's hangouts. He said the group is wary of getting in trouble or causing damage - they only want to have fun.
"We respect Hillsdale as they provide a lot for us," he said. "It was not a destructive party. We just want to shake things up."
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