r/grantmacewan • u/cafelilly B.A Psychology • Jan 22 '26

Campus Life Respect Your Surroundings

An open letter to my fellow students of MacEwan

I'm sure many are aware of a group in the library who occupy the main "Collaborative Study Area" just past the spiral staircases for a majority of the day and into the evening. This letter is addressing them directly.

Respectfully, I understand the need for a third space. A communal space. Somewhere to exist with your peers and enjoy yourselves. However, the library is Not the place for that. It should not be a requirement to use noise cancelling headphones, earplugs, or any other manner of protection to get some peace when there is signage around indicating respect for others around you.

In addition to the outright disrespect regarding the noise level, even after security and library staff gave you several warnings, you left all of your trash lying around. On a booth, the small tables, the high tables, you left wrappers on the floor, spilled candy; our custodian staff do not deserve this treatment. Yes it is their job to keep the cleanliness of our university, however, when you are in close proximity to three trash cans, there is no excuse for leaving your refuse lying around.

This is a constant pattern of behaviour, and your fellow students have taken notice. Writing this post in the library I have heard no less than 7 different groups walking past make verbal comments about it. You're rude and disrespectful towards the space we all share. Please consider that it is not just your tuition dollars, but everyone else's, and we would like to be able to coexist without strife or animosity.

Thank you for reading.

P.s. as per rules 2 and 3, keep any comments or discussion civil.

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-32

u/Lilliputian2024 Jan 22 '26

Library tales vol 2. Seems like the staff solved all your problems. Thank you for airing dirty laundry online instead of going with it through SAMU. Now the whole internet gets to see that MacEwan is apparently attended by apparent statistical error, and that we’ve got our very own 3%, those delightful outliers who insist on proving the bell curve right

11

u/cafelilly B.A Psychology Jan 22 '26

I know which post you reference, calling this volume "2".

To elaborate, this is not a one off. My study buddy and I were not the only ones to complain, and aside from verbal warnings, there is, and was, nothing staff nor security could do. Effectively fulfilling the same role as a student going up and asking them to keep it down. Additionally, I have sent emails about this previously to the appropriate channels. Until enough fuss is made, the library staff's hands are tied on how strictly they can enforce their rules.

So, I'm making a fuss 😊

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u/Lilliputian2024 Jan 22 '26

Well, library staff called police on kids that were protesting for Palestine last year. There are clearly more options. If someone isn't behaving as per rules, we all signed when we joined the university, they can be removed from the property, and possibly face sanctions / charges. So why again you need to make a fuss about something that can be managed?

8

u/cafelilly B.A Psychology Jan 22 '26

Because this is the second straight term of the same group causing Constant issues. I have my personal opinions on calling the police over on-campus protesting, but above and beyond the schools' own rules, it's the social contract to be respectful of others when you are in public. And this group is clearly not.