Computer access, printing and more—the Wharton account grants a student an exclusive right to many of Huntsman Hall’s valuable resources. Other Penn students are now getting to share a piece of the pie.
Yesterday afternoon, Wharton announced on its Spike website that students in the College and Engineering schools will now be able to book a Group Study Room in Huntsman using a separate portal on Spike specifically designed for this purpose.
Wharton One School Group, comprised of Wharton students and staff members, created the new policy after hearing complaints from several non-Wharton students, including one that asked Wharton to “stop being so elitist.”
“Several students approached us and said that they were unhappy that they couldn’t use the GSRs” Wharton IT Director of Student Experience Sarah Spaulding said.
Spaulding added “there are only a limited number of resources for students,” which is why previously only students with a Wharton account could access the GSRs. The decision was made, however, to open the study rooms up to a larger population because of the inequity of the situation.
“Finally,” College junior Edgar Hernandez proclaimed. “Huntsman is the only place open all the time, and I’m always up studying late at night. I often have to call my friend and ask him to book a GSR for me. Now I don’t have to do that anymore.”
Wharton freshmen Dora Chen is not happy to learn the news.
“It’s hard enough to book a GSR when I need one. Now so many more people will be using them,” she complained. “The competition will be too fierce.”
Though College and Engineering students will now be filling up Huntsman GSRs, students in the Nursing School were not granted the same access, because there was no strong interest from students in Nursing. However, many of these students don’t mind.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been in Huntsman,” Nursing sophomore Eleanora Picolo said. “And I don’t really plan on ever going there.”
Wharton Dean Thomas Robertson calls this an “exciting step forward in further integrating the school. Wharton wants to share its resources with the entire school and give all students the right to study whenever and wherever they want.”
_This article appeared in the Daily Pennsylvanian’s Joke Issue 2013. For more information, click here
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