Collegiate Times

Torg Center

Correction: This story has been modified from its original version. — Correction: This story has been modified from its original version. Virginia Tech has a $1.05 billion budget. The Collegiate Times regrets this error.

THE LOGISTICS OF A 24/7 FACILITY

Johnathan Davis, a facilities director of academic space management who works through the provost’s office, said he doesn’t anticipate many problems would arise if the facility were to go 24/7.

“It’s a good time to push this angle,” he said.

He said some staff members that have offices inside Torgersen Hall had been discussing making the building more accessible to students even before hearing about the SGA’s campaign.

Although not yet confirmed, it is possible that the facility could become 24/7 during a “trial period” that may be during final exam week this semester, to give students more study options and see if making the building permanently 24/7 would work.

Currently, Torgersen Hall is on 24-hour limited access after midnight. Some graduate students and employees who have offices and labs have Hokie Passport access via the card reader next to the door that faces the Drillfield.

Theoretically, this means that the general student body cannot enter or occupy the building after midnight.

Tech police, however, do not actually evict students from Torgersen Hall at midnight.

Police captain Joseph Albert said the officers who lock buildings at night don’t have time to ask students to leave buildings like Torgersen Hall at its official closing time.

They do try not to leave the doors to the building open.

Albert said many students currently use Torgersen Hall past its official closing time of midnight because they prop open the four entrance doors. Students who were inside before midnight tend to stay after midnight.

“We can run by and pull the rocks, wood wedges, trash cans and everything out, make a lap around the building and here we go again,” Albert said. “It’s just a constant issue.”

Many students take advantage of the door facing the Drillfield, through which approved persons can enter using their Hokie Passport.

“If (officers) find that door open twice, you go in and say, ‘Are you authorized to be here?’ They say yeah, so you say, ‘Step out here and try your card and see if it works,’” Albert said.

Davis has been essentially in charge of ensuring activity runs smoothly in Torgersen Hall since 2001. He said there have always been students studying after midnight in the first floor atrium.

“In the beginning, there was just a handful of students,” he said. “Now there will be almost 50 students here at 5 in the morning.”

Davis said in previous years, there had been a push to try to deal with unauthorized persons staying in the building past midnight. After the April 16, 2007 shootings, however, “our resources were stretched thin,” he said.

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A version of this article appeared in the Feb 24 issue of the Collegiate Times.