By Mark Benedetti | Staff Writer
Surrounding me are blank stares, open mouths, and computer chargers. Camps are sprawling, as supplies such as light food, textbooks, and coats take up additional space. The only ways to break the bleakness of this atmosphere are jokes, broken smiles, and coffee by the bucketful. All of the occupants of the area came here for different reasons. Essays on 19th century novels, reports on the mating processes of sea birds, accounting projects, you name it. While many came alone or in small groups, most have joined into making “tables” as a means of support during this hard time. Although they all have different ways of coping with what they refer to as “the struggle bus,” they all share this in common: they are the students of the Mckillop Library during finals.
As I look to my left, I see one girl wrapping herself in her family’s blanket, the only keepsake from her dormitory she was able to take with her. For her, its part to keep warm, and in another way, to keep human. After offering some Frito’s chips in order to gain their acceptance, I was able to join one study group on the 2nd floor. One of the members said he was there the night prior until five in the morning before he was able to pack up. Although from the outside they seemed like a ragtag band of renegades, after getting to know them, I realized they had comradery among their own ranks and kept things light through puns and dark humor. When one studentwas at the verge of breaking down and decided to leave prior to finishing her work, the crew worked together to encourage her and get her coffee and a short rest period.
Emotions run high as due dates approach and the clock ticks by. Things are said which weren’t meant. Romances and friendships are made and broken. Everyone reacts differently, as some lash out and put themselves into solitary corners. Others reach to find people to bring them through these hard weeks, the human instinct that there is strength in numbers. Social norms disappear quickly, as patrons become far too open with each other and insecurities no longer matter. I would call it an interesting aspect of human nature, the kind of which I’ve only seen in a couple of similarly high-pressure situations. If you can get past the more brutal moments, it really is fascinating. Dare I say it, beautiful even.
The aid workers, called by the locals “librarians,” have been working around the clock to provide the students with some specter of humanity during their time here. Despite the Red Cross and United Nation’s lack of response of the crisis, the librarians managed to give a rest area for students. The “Bookends Café” is a place for hot food, merriment, and beverages where the visitors can forget their ordeal for at least a few minutes that lies outside of the café. “Study rooms,” basically private camps that are closed off, can be rented at no charge for three hours. They’re perfect for group projects or an introverted gang of friends. The aid workers do sell subsidized headphones for students to drone out the cries heard throughout the library, and they also keep all the important printers operational. Their main activity however, which they are quite skilled at, is navigation for lost students who cannot find research material on their own. The offer this service on the first floor at a “help desk.” For students mired in the muck of essay writing, there is a stockade named The Academic Center for Excellence (colloquially, ACE or the Writing Center) on the 2nd floor which can aid them in their prose. I’ve even heard rumors that a high technology repair service facility exists in the basement of the library, where one can even rent out objects such as cameras and laptops. However, I have yet to venture to the basement as my team has advised me against it.
I will admit that I was nervous on taking on this assignment, to go into what the press and aid workers have called “the hot zone.” But it is a story that needs to be told. I was not going to stand on the sidelines while the semester burned. I am not making myself out to be a hero, but I do believe that I have a certain responsibility to the exhausted college students. Out of respect, I need to honor them in some way. You, the reader, can help me to continue my mission by spreading word of Mckillop Library. What from the outside looks like a type of hell, is actually a place with some of the greatest moments in human nature that can be found as friends are made, bonds are strengthened, and students work together to get each other through the most difficult two weeks of the semester, finals. I thank you for reading. Good luck out there Salve Regina students.
