VPA | Illegal student actions limit Warehouse hours

After receiving an email Jan. 23 stating The Warehouse will no longer be available to students 24 hours a day due to inappropriate and illegal behavior, Syracuse University design majors held a meeting to discuss a plan of action to get the old hours reinstated.

Twenty-one students, including communications design, fashion, and industrial and interaction design majors, gathered in The Warehouse Auditorium at 12:20 p.m. Sam Salzano, a senior communications design major and one of the organizers of the meeting, said she wanted to bring students of different majors together so everyone understood the situation.

"I think we would be more effective in having the hours opened or reinstated if we're doing something together," Salzano said.

The Warehouse, located at 350 W. Fayette St., is the main location is where design students go to complete art projects. The building is now open to students from 6 a.m. to midnight.

Many students said they take advantage of the late-night hours, sometimes even spending the night in the building to finish their work. Many students are worried the shorter hours will affect their academic performance and the quality of their work.

According to the email sent to students, The Warehouse hours were cut because students spray-painted in areas other than the designated spray booths; gained illegal access to space in the building that is not for student use, such as faculty offices; abused various furniture or equipment, including urinating in garbage cans; stealing materials or equipment; bringing or consuming alcohol and other substances in the building; and acting disrespectful to faculty or staff members who asked them to stop doing such activities.

"Unfortunately the acts of an increasing number of students are now impacting the lives of all the students who use the building," said Lucinda Havenhand, chair of the design department, in the letter.

Havenhand could not immediately be reached for comment.

Students at the meeting were particularly frustrated that all design students are losing work hours because of the acts of a few individuals.

"One person has to f**k it up for everyone, and I'm sorry, but if you pee in an office, you should be suspended," one student said.

Salzano suggested starting an online petition to gain support from students and faculty. She also suggested writing a letter on behalf of all design students to the dean of VPA. In the letter, attendees planned to acknowledge there were students who violated the Student Code of Conduct.

"Students are not holding themselves accountable," said Erin Devine, a senior communications design major and another organizer of the meeting.

Many students said they were upset about the administration's handling of the situation because they think the department should have alerted students before taking any action. Devine suggested the students include that in their letter to the dean.

"The letter's not just about a fight," Devine said. "We want them to handle this in a different manner."

Students agreed there needs to be a system of communication between students and faculty. To work toward action, the students agreed to choose two representatives from each major that utilizes The Warehouse. The students are then hoping to set up a meeting between the representatives, the dean and other faculty members to discuss issues and deliver their letter.

After the meeting, Zach Port, a sophomore industrial and interaction design major, said students heard a rumor that The Warehouse hours were being cut before the letter was sent out. But, he said, they weren't previously warned or alerted by the administration.

"It was kind of out of the blue, kind of a shock. They hadn't ever said anything," he said.

Port said although he hadn't previously heard about some of the actions listed in the letter, he said he knows there are students who violated the Code of Conduct.

"I'd seen people drinking on the floor before," he said.

Of the entire situation, Port said he is mostly upset about the lack of communication between the department and students.

"I'm more upset that they didn't talk to us about anything first," he said. "... It seems almost disrespectful to us."

Marcos Cantos, a junior communications design major, agreed and said he was shocked when he first read the letter. He said he thought sending it in an email felt impersonal and disrespectful to the students.

Cantos, who spends many hours in the evening working on projects, said he is now concerned about producing high-quality work under shortened hours.

"I'm most worried about how I'm going to have to change my work habits," he said.

Salzano, one of the meeting organizers, said she was happy with the turnout and more students had shown up than she expected.

She said the loss of work hours at The Warehouse is a drastic decision that will affect students academically. The department sets high standards for the students, she said, and if their work hours are cut, they will not be able to live up to those standards.

"We won't be able to maintain that level of achievement if we're missing the 42 hours a week that they're taking away," she said.

Salzano said, on average, design students spend 20 hours a week on work. Many of those hours, she said, are between midnight and 6 a.m. She said she has pulled a number of all-nighters at The Warehouse herself.

The next step for students is to create the online petition and set up a meeting with the dean and other faculty members, Salzano said.