The 33 E. Ida B. Wells building will no longer be open on Saturdays starting Oct. 10.
The college has not formally announced the change, but in an email obtained by the Chronicle, Ames Hawkins, dean of the School of Communication and Culture, told faculty and staff that the building will no longer be open on Saturdays to help support other “essential evening activities” on campus.
Although all campus buildings are closed on Sundays, the 33 E. Ida B. Wells building is now the fourth to be closed on Saturdays, according to the days and hours listed on Columbia’s website. On Saturdays, the Student Center is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., one of the 11 buildings to remain open.
As of time of publication, the college had yet to notify the Columbia community about the 33 E. Ida B. Wells building closure.
Asked why the building was closing on Saturday, Michelle Aiello, senior media relations manager, said in an email that she had no information.
On Saturday, Oct. 3, a Chronicle reporter went to each floor of the building around noon to talk to students and did not find anyone present.
The 33 E. Ida B. Wells building is home to the School of Communication and Culture. The Center for Student Success, the Academic Center for Tutoring, the Honors Lounge, the Columbia Chronicle and WCRX, the campus radio station, are also located in the building.
“I understand why they’re doing it. It’s just that they’re trying to look everywhere to save money,” said Matthew Cunningham, an associate professor of instruction in the School of Communication and Culture. “They didn’t have that many students using it.”
The change after the start of the semester is a part of the college’s cost-cutting efforts to close its projected $18 million operating deficit for the fiscal year beginning Sept. 1, as the Chronicle previously reported.
The building will still be open for college-wide events such as Open House and Admitted Student Days, according to Cunningham.
WCRX will not be impacted by the change because its programming is prerecorded and scheduled throughout the weekend, said Cunningham, the station’s general manager.
The Columbia Chronicle newsroom will also not be impacted because its student journalists can work from anywhere, said William Blakley, editor-in-chief of the Chronicle.
“The Chronicle doesn’t use the space much on Saturdays, as much of our in-person work is done throughout the week,” said Blakley, a senior journalism and film and television major. “While I’d love to have this space open for our reporters to use it and be able to chat, they can always do that elsewhere.”
For Anna Griffith, a senior ASL-English interpretation major, the building served as a hub for other students who are in her program to gather and practice ASL.
“It’s always good to have it open another day, so it is a little frustrating that it’s not gonna be open for us on every weekend from now on,” Griffith said. “It’s nice to have a neutral space to come and actually practice where we can all focus.”
In the past, Tommy Moore, a senior film and television major, came to the 33 E. Ida B. Wells building on Saturdays for tutoring. Despite this, he doesn’t see a major impact toward his academics.
“If I were to go here on a Saturday, it’s usually because of tutoring and stuff, but I guess I can go on a different day,” Moore said.
While Cunningham said he does not foresee issues with the Saturday closure for this semester, students should have input.
“It’s up to the students if they feel like it’s a day that they would utilize,” Cunningham said.
Copy edited by Camila Verzino
