While the administration looks to expand the parameters of campus, students need to be more wary of the misuse of the space already available.

The university currently inhibits students from taking full advantage of existing facilities that are designated for their use and enjoyment.

The numerous locked rooms across campus that serve as storage space or remain unused are simply a waste when their intended purpose was to enhance students’ experiences. Community rooms like those at Henle Village and Village A are often locked unless reserved in advance, and several piano rooms in New North and Darnall are closed to students unless they are being used for professional piano lessons. While Georgetown University Student Association has acknowledged it as a serious concern, the biggest offense remains: All non-business school students are denied access to the most modern building on campus after 10 p.m.

Space has long been an issue on the Hilltop. The Student Space Working Group labored for two years over a comprehensive evaluation of the university’s available space, yet simple problems of accessibility remain unanswered. The SSWG study that was published last spring primarily recommended the expansion of student-used facilities, a concept similar to the administration’s Campus Plan. But the proposed solutions fail to address the far more simple and solvable problems like locked community rooms, music practice rooms and limited access to the Rafik B. Hariri Building, which make them all the more frustrating.

Before the university embarks on any new construction projects to expand student facilities, it needs to first fully utilize the ones it already has. All community rooms must be open to the community, all musicians need to have adequate practice space and all students should have access to the best study spaces available. To do less is not only an inefficient use of resources but a disservice to students. “