John Jay Dining Hall will soon be converted to a study space after dinner hours.
“You wouldn’t need to swipe to come in, and it would be first-come, first-serve, and people could use it any way they like to,” Vice President of Campus Services Scott Wright said.
The dining hall, which closes for dinner at 8 p.m., will open for several hours after dinner, probably starting sometime within the next two weeks. Columbia College Student Council President Karishma Habbu, CC ’13, said at Sunday night’s CCSC meeting that the council had agreed to cover half the cost of the initiative, or $3,500.
Some students see potential in John Jay as a new study area, predicting that it will relieve pressure on other parts of campus.
“I definitely think it would benefit the freshmen who live right here in Wallach, Hartley, and John Jay to have that space,” Edgar Espinoza, SEAS ’14, said outside John Jay on Sunday. “I know Hartley and Wallach have upper lounges, but it’s still pretty small.”
“If this is open, I think a lot of people might come,” he added.
For other students, a new late-night space wouldn’t affect their study habits in a significant way. Jorge Peña, SEAS ’16, said that existing facilities on campus have been adequate for him.
“I think there’s a good amount of spaces,” Peña said. Of the prospect of studying in the dining hall, he added, “I’d rather be in my room, or some library—other than Butler.”
Rakhi Agrawal contributed reporting.
