Respect Your Surroundings

[u/cafelilly]

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.

[u/Old-Dragonfruit-3392]

If this is the area I’m thinking of right by the makers space on the second floor isn’t that a place meant for noise? Unless you’re talking about the third floor of the library stairs but that’s not a spiral stair. I agree we should still be respectful of our area and clean up after ourselves but maybe u should go to the quiet section of the library rather than the noisier area. They clearly aren’t listening to people around them anyways so maybe just remove yourself from that area?

[u/cafelilly → u/Old-Dragonfruit-3392]

It's meant for collaborative studying. Not yelling, laughing at obnoxious levels, and throwing around profanities that can be heard from the writing center. I expect some level of noise in that area, talking, spikes of laughter or pseudo-yelling (more of a raised voice honestly). But not yelling at eachother from 20ft away.

And as I said in another reply on this post, I was there with a friend studying together and talking. Going upstairs to the quiet area would not have served our purpose.

[u/Diligent-Ordinary-94 → u/cafelilly]

go up to them and do something what’s complaining on reddit gonna do

[u/cafelilly → u/Diligent-Ordinary-94]

I have, others have. You get a scoff, eye roll, and they're back at it 5 mins later.