Students gear up for exams

This week, Eagle Dining and the SGA have teamed up to extend the Powerhouse's hours to accommodate students who need a place to study for their final exams.

For this week and the week of finals, the Powerhouse restaurant will be open until 4 or 5 a.m. This provides a great alternative for those studying in the library, which closes at 2 a.m.

"Students have been begging for some kind of facility to study after hours once the library closes," said J. R. Robinson, SGA president. "We went to work with Eagle Dining to use the Powerhouse, and they graciously agreed. It's a place for students to study after hours if they need that space, especially around exam time."

Refreshments will also be available for purchase, including pastries and a pancake platter. Robinson says the eventual goal is to have the Powerhouse open late every night, provided students participate in this "test run."

Hannah Byars, a freshman nursing major from Madison, Miss., does not think the later hours will help the Powerhouse's business.

"I'm going to try to get my studying done early so I can get some sleep," said Byars. "They probably won't get much business [that late]."

However, SGA director of executive initiatives Kyle Nixon remains optimistic.

"I think students will definitely hop on board this program quickly," said Nixon. "Not only is it in an excellent location, but the extra hours are most certainly helpful for students who work in the wee hours of the night."

According to Marti Baca an employee at Java Werks, they are once again extending regular business hours during the week of final exams.

"Starting Sunday, December 6th we [Java Werks] will be open 24 hours until Thursday evening when we'll close at 11 p.m," Baca said.

Some students however, still would rather study in their own apartments and dorm rooms.

Samantha Wise, a junior English major from Lumberton, Miss said she typically studies at her apartment because it offers less distractions.

"One, we have no internet to distract me and two, I need noise and the library doesn't appreciate that need," Wise said.