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A General Malaise.

5p.m. Tuesday afternoon. You may remember that It was very cold that day. I had four hours of lectures from 1p.m. to 5p.m. During the last one I was listening to my rumbling turn and dreaming of hot food. I was committed for various reasons, to staying at university until at least 10p.m. So straight after my last lecture, I went to the caf for some sustenance, only to find on my arrival that they'd all but shut up shop. Checked the notice on the door, which said that on Tuesdays ( if not on Fridays) the caf is supposed to be open until 6.30p.m.

That was the final straw! I've had a gutsfull of this bloody place! It's no bloody wonder nobody uses the library. They can't feed their minds alone. If you have to go home or downtown any time you want something to eat or drink, of course you'll find the library the most inconvenient place to work. (This may seem rather off the subject of griping about the caf, but I think it's all tied up with the general malaise about the Place.)

Who is responsible for the efficient, economic and effective running of the caf? Why is it running at a loss? Why can places downtown give better value? The caf must be employing too many people, wasting too much food, or not using staff effectively, or all three. Can't whoever Manages the place do just that? God knows, we get little enough for our money as It is. And while I'm on the subject of money, where does our $37 go? Can somebody publish in Salient an itemised account of how much Is allocated to the various student union activities?

Any more ranting and raving would be mere Indulgence, but it's a poor show when you have to leave campus to get something to eat at 5p.m. on a week night. Times were when the caf was full at that time and people emerged with the wherewithal in their stomachs to carry on working in the library.