{shortcode-16a641a0abd1c2ecb79a6432a45ad2ac5aba84bb}In the midst of a College-wide discussion about increasing social spaces on campus, the UC has proposed a referendum asking students if Pusey Library should instead be turned into a “freshmen-oriented social space.” Is this a good call? We’ll leave that to voters to decide, but for those of you unsure, Flyby weighs the pros and cons of turning libraries into social spaces.

PROS

Turning Pusey into a social space would be great for those shy freshman looking to get down in a library, but not quite ready to cross one of the Three Things off of their list. It also would at least double the amount of library-related socializing on campus, which is currently limited to procrastinating in Lamont Cafe or getting shushed for breathing too loudly in Widener.

Besides, doesn’t Harvard have like 90 libraries around the world? It’s not like anyone would notice if one was missing, right?

Perhaps most importantly, though, note the words “freshmen-oriented.” Now picture yourself as a freshman again: baby face, lanyard, and everything. Except now, instead of wandering the Quad or trying to figure out which river house is Eliot and which is Winthrop, imagine that you’re going to a party in the Yard. And it’s not a crowded pregame in Canaday full of sweaty guys and loud music. No, it’s a real party. In the space that once was Pusey Library, a place that likely in your years at Harvard you have never visited. What a time to be alive.

CONS

The biggest drawback to turning Pusey into a party space is perhaps best embodied by the words of one Flyby staff writer’s father: “I’m paying for you to go to college so you can learn, not so you can sit around and drink beer.” Okay Dad, whatever. Sure, parties are fun ways to release the stresses of daily life as an undergrad, but Harvard does also have an obligation to provide access to materials for its graduate students. And it’s a well-known fact that grad students are too busy to have fun– just look at your TFs. They probably want to turn social spaces into libraries.

And how far would Harvard be willing to go? Hosting post-CS50-office-hour raves in Loker Reading Room? Replacing Faculty Dinner with Faculty-Student beer pong tournaments? Changing Advanced Standing to Advanced Keg-Standing? It would be an awful thing for Harvard to try and force us to have fun.

Finally, if they change the function of Pusey Library, they would probably rename it, leaving us with one less reason to snicker at tourists asking for directions.