The Wellesley News THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WELLESLEY COLLEGE WELLESLEY, MA 02481 • ESTABLISHED 1901 THEWELLESLEYNEWS.COM WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2014 VOLUME 115, ISSUE 4 College explores possibility Students, faculty of Flex Points usage at propose changes Leaky Beaker to common spaces in Clapp Library By GRACE BALLENGER ’17 Staff Writer The Advisory Committee on Library and Technology Policies reached out to students last month to get student feedback on a proposed project to re-examine the use of academic commons. The library staff also hopes to move the Writing Program and Quantitative Reasoning (QR) program into the library as part of the Campus Renewal project. A committee composed of Library and Technology Services (LTS) members, facilities managers and faculty from the Writing and QR programs began initial surveys for the project last fall by examining the use of space in current or proposed libraries at other universities. About 20 students offered feedback on the use of space in the library in three small group meetings with architect Monica Ponce de Leon. Student feedback centered around several issues: confusion over the stairs and layout, uncertainty over acceptable noise levels, desire for a café or a more social space, a need for more power outlets and use of individual versus group space. One of these concerns focused on problems with the library’s architecture. Students mentioned that it made them claustrophobic and was difficult to navigate, especially with its confusing set of stairs. Zoe Swarzenski ’17 feels that the library has a problem with the layout that makes it difficult to locate objects that she is searching for. BIANCA PICHAMUTHU ’16, PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR “I wish it was more transparent, the layout and where things are. I find that I don’t know about a lot of the stuff in the library, Although the Leaky Beaker is a popular destination for students and faculty in the Science Center, it does and if I needed something I wouldn’t know where to go without not currently accept Flex Points for payment. asking someone,” Swarzenski said. Madelena Collins ’18 believes that the library does not offer an aesthetically pleasing study area. By NASREEN AL-QADI ’18 When the College developed its dining program, “There’s so much concrete that it doesn’t feel like a warm Contributing Writer the Leaky Beaker did not exist, as it opened in study environment. It feels very harsh when you go in there and 2011. At the time, the Emporium seemed to the the stairwells aren’t lit very well. The design elements don’t The Leaky Beaker, run by Wellesley Fresh, is a administration like the best location to offer Flex seem to mesh very well, versus other libraries that I’ve been popular destination for students taking refuge in the Point service. Now that the Leaky Beaker is open, at,” Collins said. Science Center. A common question, recently posed it is excluded because the current dining program Diana Castillo ’17 agreed that the library’s comfort level during Senate last Monday, is why the Leaky Beaker structure allows for only one separate location could be improved. does not accept Flex Points. Unlike the Leaky covered by the residential dining plan. Although “I really like it when libraries feel cozy, and I think the library Beaker, the other on-campus vendor, the Emporium Dubois is new to the college, he is planning to does that in some places, but I feel like some of the furniture in the Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center, does investigate all current operations. seems to be ripped up. We need some new furniture,” Castillo accept Flex Points, which every student receives “I will be asking many questions and doing said. fifty dollars worth of each semester. Students are significant analysis on all dining operations over the In addition, students who participated in the sessions with unsure why this discrepancy exists. next year to gain a better understanding of what is the architect expressed confusion over designated spaces and Jeff Dubois, who is the newly appointed assistant and isn’t working well and where we can change acceptable noise levels. vice president for budget, financial planning and things to better suit all stakeholders in the program,” Currently, the library has long tables that would be ideal for campus services, says that Flex Points were never Dubois said. group study, but they are located next to thesis carrels, where held back from the Leaky Beaker due to its lower The Leaky Beaker is also facing financial difficulty silence is essential. Study rooms, which also seem like a good popularity levels. Instead, it is a matter of finance. and is running under an annual deficit. Dubois place to work with a group, are not soundproof, which means “The residential dining plan [which includes the states that the extension of Flex Points to the Leaky that group work may disturb people around the study rooms Emporium] and all its associated costs are factored Beaker will only heighten its financial problems. At who desire quietness. into the Board charge to students each year. The the Emporium, almost fifty percent of their sales are Swarzenski also feels that study areas should be more clearly retail locations are expected to cover all incremental paid for with Flex Points. This spending trend could marked. costs through additional cash sales,” Dubois said. carry over to the Leaky Beaker and cause an even “I wish there were more designated study areas. Right now Therefore, unlike the Emporium, costs incurred at higher deficit. On the other hand, many students it feels like it’s mostly books, with tables scattered throughout, the Leaky Beaker are not covered by each student’s who have never purchased from the Leaky Beaker rather than an area where you go to study,” Swarzenski said. meal plan. If the two other retail locations on might do so if it accepted Flex Points. Students who raised these concerns in the meetings proposed campus, the Leaky Beaker and Collins Cafe were to “If they were to accept Flex Points, I would buy a graduated noise system, with different levels of talking accept Flex Points, students would be charged more from them,” Bozena Sheidel ’18 said. allowed on each level as a potential solution. for their meal plans. Students currently pay $6,874 The Leaky Beaker has more limited operating Collins embraces the idea of a graduated noise system as a a year for the meal plan at Wellesley. FLEX POINTS, page 3 LIBRARY RENOVATIONS, page 4 CONTENTS SPORTS & FEATURES, 5 NEWS.......................... 1 FEATURES................. 5 WELLNESS, 12 OPINIONS................. 7 Discounts for Wellesley ARTS............................ 9 Vegan options for dining out students in the city SPORTS...................... 11 2 THE WELLESLEY NEWS OCTOBER 1, 2014 NEWS College continues to make an effort By CYNTHIA CHEN ’18 to reduce student debt Staff Writer Wellesley College has made an active attempt in recent years to lower loans and increase grant aid. Nationally, college graduates this year on average face $30,000 dollars in debt, the highest student loan debt ever recorded. Meanwhile, the federal government this year will pay student loan collection companies $600 million. The U.S. Department of Education announced changes to its rules last week to ensure that loan servicers provide more affordable payment plans. This change is an attempt to address the national concern that taking out multiple loans does not help a student’s financial situation but actually drives him or her deeper into debt. At Wellesley, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics, 68 percent of the student population received financial aid in the 2012-13 academic year. Fifty-nine percent of the financial aid packages consisted of grants averaging $38,166 while 31 percent of aid recipients took out loans averaging $4,339. Unless a student is able to get her loans eliminated ALICE LIANG ’16, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF by fulfilling certain financial criteria, according to the Student Financial Services investments, repayment and donations. “We are here to support the college, and loans still have an impact on Wellesley (SFS) website, there is the standard “low For the 2014-2015 academic year, I think the college does a great job in student life. loan package” with a four-year debt of the Student Aid Society has committed supporting the students,” Schedlbauer said. “My friend actually had to take a year off $15,200. $335,000 for grants and $600,000 for In addition to the funds from the Student [due to costs],” Mollie Krawitz ’17 said. In comparison, USA Today found that loans with a five percent simple interest Aid Society, the SFS also assists students “She is leaving school and trying to come in the 2011-12 academic year, 71 percent rate. Additionally, the office provides more in taking out a variety of loans. Federal back as a Davis Scholar.” of undergraduates received some sort than $130,000 in the form of bookstore loans are available for students who have Krawitz also acknowledges that the of financial aid. Fifty-nine percent of vouchers and Amazon gift cards annually completed the Free Application for Federal stress level surrounding loans depends on undergraduates received grants averaging to all students who are on financial aid. Student Aid with an interest of 4.66 the family. She noted that some students $6,200, while 42 percent of undergraduates Student Aid Society also offers short percent. Federal Perkins Loans have a 5 receive guaranteed financial assistance took out an average of $7,100 in loans. term emergency loans between $20 to percent interest and are administered by the from their families. The Student Aid Society is one of the $300.