The great lockout

My goodness, the j-school is abuzz today, isn’t it?  In case you’ve been living under a rock you aren’t on Twitter, Brian Brooks sent an e-mail this morning this morning telling students that they risked arrest if they were still in the buildings after hours.  He also sent an e-mail to the faculty explaining that students had been propping the building doors open after hours, practically inviting homeless people to live in our buildings.

It’s not news that many students spend every waking hours at Lee Hills or RJI because that’s where the equipment they need to use is located.  It’s also not news that students who do have access to the buildings after hours – TAs, grad students, etc. – often let their friends and peers in late to do work.  And as someone who’s done both (oops?), I understand where all the anger is coming from.  But I also understand where Dean Brooks is coming from.  He had every right to tell students that the building are off-limits after hours.

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