My high school is getting a new library -- or, rather, a new student center. I'm sure it will be great once it's finished. I just don't understand it. Since I've graduated, I will probably never even see it.
Among the student center's espoused features are a Starbucks, a Subway Café and a student lounge. While these amenities are impressive, I ask simply one question, "Why?"
Why would a so-called library need a Starbucks to be attractive? Students have become so caught up in staying up late, drinking coffee to learn the following day, and have forgotten what it is that a student is actually supposed to do.
A man at church once asked what the universal trait of an educated student is. He said it was a desire to learn. Students should worry less about their grades or graduation tracks, but more on learning the material needed to live in the world. Yes, this does include "The Great Gatsby."
Our new library reflects just this. Rather than exhibiting state-of-the-art technology and some sort of design for shelving books, its main features will be coffee, processed food and an area to drink your expensive coffee and eat your processed food.