Aramark employees, students, and Quad editors waited outside of Sykes Student Union on Sunday Sept. 29 about to start their work day at 10:00 a.m.. However, these people were unable to enter Sykes because was the building was locked although the time set for opening is 10:00 a.m.Students waited until approximately 10:45 a.m. when a police officer unlocked the door for Ram’s head employees; Ram’s head opens 12:00 p.m. Members of the Quad also asked to be let in due to their deadline.
The police officer, Ashe, said he did not know why the building was locked.
Sykes Union directory members were not present in the building. The information desk was unattended and the office’s lights were off.
At 11:30 a.m. the building remained locked and people let others in through the Ram’s head door.
The door to the fitness center was also locked and it usually opens at 11:00 a.m. on weekends.
One Aramark employee that despite the near hour delay, Ram’s Head opened at 12:00 p.m.
The front doors to the building opened around 11:30; however, desk assistants and staff members were not present.
“We hate it, and it’s completely inconvenient,” fifth-year student Andrea Warden said.
Third-year student Amanda Tingle said that there are supposed to be at least one student director and one information desk assistant present during the opening hours of Sykes.
According to Warden, she and her classmates had to work on a project but were unable to because the computer lab was locked.
“How are we supposed to meet for groups projects?” third-year student Melissa Calabrese said.
At 11:40 a.m. there was still no evidence of why the building was not opened nor why desk assistant was not present.
Mel Josephs, the executive director of Student Services, called Dave Timmann, the director of Sykes Student Union at 12:15 to inquire about the absentee staff members.
By 1:00 p.m. Sykes was staffed.
According to one of the Sykes staff members, an employee quite recently and none of the union associates were informed of the open shift. Additionally, Tingle said that it was “miscommunication.”
According to another staff member, “this could happen to anyone.”
Nicole Fortuna is a second-year student of the Honors College majoring in Literature with a minor in Linguistics. She can be reached at NF626790@wcupa.edu.