AU students need to focus on benefits of this university, not the detriments. We're too often focused on the negatives, looking, begging for something to criticize or call out. Let's be honest - who hasn't complained about the Terrace Dining Room, Public Safety, Financial Aid, the dorms, bureaucracy, the list goes on and on. And I'm no preacher - I can dish with the best of them. In fact, you're likely to see me do so in this newspaper.
But we should be wary about one of our most favorite targets of all - the concrete bunker straight out of "Patton" where we go to browse the stacks, research, make attempts at studying and get a late night perk.
Stepping into Bender Library is like a step back into the Cold War (that is, frankly, rivaled only by the second floor of McKinley). Harsh fluorescent lights beat down on harvest yellow, orange and brown - colors fit for the kitchens of the 1970s. There is an odd scent in the stairways. And if you need to find an open computer to print a last-minute paper before your 5:30 p.m. class, dream on.
To roast our library is to be an AU student - my freshman and sophomore year I spent as little time as possible locked within its cold, concrete embrace. When I describe my feelings about Bender, I always used the same line: find a book about the solar system, dust it off and it will say, "one day, man will set foot on the moon."
But now that I have completed my American Society on Stage and Screen course (its relevance to political science still escapes me) and have moved on to upper-level courses, I've found myself basking in the fluorescent glow of Bender with increasing frequency. When I first trudged into the library at the start of last spring semester, a grimace on my face, I found myself subconsciously determined to find fault. My searches would go awry, the wireless wouldn't work, the computers would be full, I wouldn't find a table and the harvest yellow would glare in gut-wrenching brilliance.
Don't get me wrong - my experience wasn't a little slice of heaven. But it was far from the disaster I had predicted. We criticize, complain and dream of beautiful new stacks, brand new books and tables for all. But in doing so, we look past the fact that University Librarian Bill Mayer and his staff have gone great lengths to make up for Bender Library's physical deficiencies.
Egged on by my own curiosity, I attended several drop-in classes throughout the spring. My political research class visited one of our research librarians. I've resurrected my high school AIM account to check in with the reference desk, get advice and guide my searching. I've skimmed the surface of the enormous list of online databases - both from the comfort of the Mudbox and my Van Ness apartment. I've been in the library in the darkest hours of the night, no longer having to relocate to Mary Graydon Center upon closing.
At first glance, the library is nothing but a Cold War relic, outdated, dusty - a place to roll your eyes at as you walk along the main quad. But when you get to really know the library, delve into its services, how it can help you, ask questions of the staff and browse its databases, you start to see the light. Despite all the complaining, I've realized that the worst we can do as students is to take things at face value. Even during my three years here, the improvements to both the library and general campus have been astounding. They haven't always been on the surface, but they are there. When we think about our university, our library, we have to be better about remembering: don't judge a book by its cover.
Carl Seip is a senior in the School of Public Affairs and the AU issues columnist for The Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.
