Students are finding it difficult to enter the library without their StormCards. It is unfair that students who pay tuition are denied access to the library when they forget their StormCards, yet visitors who are not even St. John’s alumni are given full access as long as they give a valid picture I.D.

This has left students outraged at the fact they are placed second to visitors who do not pay for the facility.

Many students have resulted to sneaking in or denying their status as a student just to gain entry into the library.

Eugene O’Neal, a junior, feels that this policy has gotten out of hand. “As a student I find it unfair that someone who does not pay tuition has more access than I do,” O’Neal said.

Why is it that if a St John’s student does not have their StormCard on hand he or she must go to the StormCard office to get a one-time per semester only day pass to the library? What if the StormCard office is closed? Does that mean they cannot use the library? What exactly is the point for this double standard?

According to two public safety officials who will remain anonymous, “Public Safety does not make the laws, they just enforce them. The policy itself was created mainly with security and library administration. It was a group decision.”

Apparently, Public Safety is not the group to blame for this ridiculous policy; they are only doing their job. This policy, however, remains an enigma.

Theresa Maylone, the executive director of the library says that the issue with the StormCards have been of major importance ever since the turnstiles were put in. Maylone said that “it is obvious there is a disconnect and it seems as if there is a preference to outsiders.”

According to Maylone, the role of the library is to not exclude members of the community. They are supposed to extend courtesy to them by allowing others to use our library collection.

Still, non-students have more access to the library than students. The library policy makes it seem as if St John’s students are more dangerous or are to be feared more than outsiders, ones that the University really has no information about.

What seems to be clear is that there is a “disconnect.” Many students are asking why. Why the double standard? They say it is for security reasons, but this is an illegitimate answer, considering strangers are admitted with a mere picture I.D.

What ever the real reason may be, we deserve an answer and there needs to be a policy change.