Maingate's main problem
Muhlenberg Weekly Executive Board
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Op/Ed
The first Thursday of every month, many students look forward to a night off campus at Maingate. Students are bussed to Maingate, where they wait in a line to pay the night's entry fee, check their belongings, and head to the dance floor. While the club is known for its popular music and strobe lights, it is increasingly becoming synonymous with many difficulties that are making the trip a lot less worthwhile.
This past Thursday, Jan. 28, a few hundred Berg students set out for their Maingate fix. The unbelievable line, not to mention waiting outside in the cold, however, dampened the excitement of many students. The process of checking coats at the door contributed greatly to the wait, but once inside with their coat-check tickets, students felt free to move on with their nights. Little did they know that many of them would end the night with missing jackets, lost property, and all but fighting with the coat-room attendant.
Every student on campus received an email last week with information about several thefts that occurred that night at Maingate, and we have heard numerous accounts from students who lost their coats, dealt with the coat-check misplacing their tickets, and witnessed arguments over personal property. The Campus Safety Notice that was sent out advised that students always check their belongings and not leave drinks or belongings unsupervised. But in light of recent events, we wonder if this is enough. One student, after "safely" checking their coat and wallet, was unable to recover both of them at the end of the night, losing everything from their license to their dorm key.
While it is inevitable that mix-ups of the same black NorthFace jacket occur once in a while, we believe that students shouldn't have to be fearful of losing their possessions, especially at an event catered to students. If students didn't need to bring money with them, there might be less of a concern about their belongings. Selling tickets to Maingate in advance for student nights could help prevent backed- up lines as well as allow students to leave more of their valuables behind in their dorms. Less to worry about could only lead to a more fun, worryfree night on the dance floor.
This past Thursday, Jan. 28, a few hundred Berg students set out for their Maingate fix. The unbelievable line, not to mention waiting outside in the cold, however, dampened the excitement of many students. The process of checking coats at the door contributed greatly to the wait, but once inside with their coat-check tickets, students felt free to move on with their nights. Little did they know that many of them would end the night with missing jackets, lost property, and all but fighting with the coat-room attendant.
Every student on campus received an email last week with information about several thefts that occurred that night at Maingate, and we have heard numerous accounts from students who lost their coats, dealt with the coat-check misplacing their tickets, and witnessed arguments over personal property. The Campus Safety Notice that was sent out advised that students always check their belongings and not leave drinks or belongings unsupervised. But in light of recent events, we wonder if this is enough. One student, after "safely" checking their coat and wallet, was unable to recover both of them at the end of the night, losing everything from their license to their dorm key.
While it is inevitable that mix-ups of the same black NorthFace jacket occur once in a while, we believe that students shouldn't have to be fearful of losing their possessions, especially at an event catered to students. If students didn't need to bring money with them, there might be less of a concern about their belongings. Selling tickets to Maingate in advance for student nights could help prevent backed- up lines as well as allow students to leave more of their valuables behind in their dorms. Less to worry about could only lead to a more fun, worryfree night on the dance floor.