Burning the midnight oil

Sunniya Marquez
Daily Egyptian

Morris Library falls eerily quite sometimes at about 11 p.m., a time when the majority of students pack their things up and head home after a long day of research and studying. But for students who work the late shift at the library, the night is just beginning.

A student bangs impatiently on the reservation materials desk waiting for service, as another picks up a DVD. Michael Diaz, a junior from Chicago studying marketing, said he prefers watching movies in the library as opposed to the dorm because it's quieter. "It's an escape from noise and distraction; it's more calm," Diaz said. Diaz also added that he prefers to stay away from the first floor because of late night distractions, such as other patrons surfing the web for pornography.

"It's a little creepy," Diaz said. Julie Wheaton, a senior from Findlay studying biology who works the late shift, said she hasn't seen any problems since she first began working at the library, but said she thinks Saluki Patrol deters a lot of problems the library staff could potentially see.

"I started last semester working the extended-hours shift during finals, which is 2 a.m. to 7 a.m., which gets pretty boring," Wheaton said. She said extended-hour shifts are usually the worst because it gets really quiet, which can be "mind-bogglingly" boring. Some students, however, enjoy the shift and find it to be a good time to catch up on schoolwork and other hobbies, such as reading. Jorge Torres, a student who works at the reserves desk, picked the hours for the serenity of the shift.

"I needed the hours, and this shift is better because there's not as many people," said Torres, a senior from Chicago studying visual communications. "So it gives me a chance to catch up on my own work."

Other students who work the late-night shift at the library said they think the shift is better because it gives them the opportunity to hold a job and do their schoolwork at the same time. Rajsekhar Adapa, a graduate student from India studying electrical engineering, said the presence of the Saluki Patrol at the library really helps out because it creates a sense of safety. "There's always something to do, so I don't get bored so quickly," Adapa said. "It makes me feel better too that the Saluki Patrol is here at this time of night."

Adi Vemuri has been working the late shift since the summer. "It's always been pretty calm," said Vemuri, a graduate student from India studying computer science. "Plus, it's the most comfortable." Neel Potdar, a senior from Lake Zurich studying zoology, said it's just easier to study in the library at night. "I don't mind working late at night," Potdar said as he worked on a paper due eight hours later.

"Sometimes I do worry do about my safety, though, when I'm walking home," Potdar said. "They could do more to light up the campus. It gets really dark from here to the dorms."