Wayne State: Pornography OK to watch in library

[hoosier]

Pornography OK to watch in library

By Lisa Green _|_Staff Writer


Instead of being used for research_or homework, computers in the David Adamany Undergraduate Library are often used for another purpose: to watch pornography.
Many students and staff walk by and regularly spot users watching pornographic material.
"Yeah,_I witnessed a couple of white guys masturbating on the first floor, but I quickly turned my head," said Antoine Stevens, a freshman. "After that, I went to the third floor."
Library staffers are finding that the community access terminals, located on the first floor of the UGL, are where users are getting in heavy viewing time because it seems easy to log on and "get off."
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"The community access terminals are frequently used by people who do not attend Wayne State," said Andrea Williams, a senior who works at the information desk in the UGL. "We get a lot of complaints about people viewing pornography and we have also had problems with people masturbating to porn."
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Yet, it's OK for anyone to look at porn (as long as it's not child pornography) in the UGL because Wayne State University is a public institution.
"The library can not kick anyone out for viewing porn, but we can tell them that their behavior is not acceptable," said Williams. "It's a privacy act and this is a public institution. So, we can't say 'you can't watch porn.'
"We just have to make sure people don't get too physical."
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Students have mixed feelings about this.
"I don't think it's appropriate for students to look at porn sites because it may be other people around who don't want to see negativity," said Stevens. "If it's OK to see porn in here they should have a little area to go to."
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Other students, like junior Andy Timmons, feel viewing porn on your down time is your business.
"I don't really care if students are watching porn in the UGL," he said. "The computers on the first floor are set inside the desk so it's not like a big deal. I've done research in the library and it has never disrupted me at all.
"I mean, you are at a booth, you can't really see other people. Well, maybe people have morality issues with it, but I think people should be able to do what they want."__

What do you think? Should it be OK for the University to let people view porn in the UGL? Let us know. Send emails to: letters@southend.wayne.edu.
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[sigtau305]

I'm sorry but I really don't see the point of a Pubilc University Library allowing porno to be view among the regular users (Students, Adminisrators) who uses the resources for more important things.

Cleveland State has changed the comp system last year so that only Students are allowed access to the computer in the library as well as other parts of the campus that has internet access. that happened after a few non-students has decided to watch porn and getting off on it.


I'm all for the public to use the library facility but there should be some type of limitations.

[abaici]

That's really gross!!! Ewwwwwwwwww

[luvtoscrap]

My two cents on the subject:

If grown boys want to watch porn on the net that is their business. Don't do it in public because I do not want to see it as I casually walk by. Most work places have internal policies against watching porn on their net systems both on and off the clock then why does a public university cannot have the same policy.

However my more immediate concern is are these terminals available for students who are doing academic research and papers when they are needed or are they being used by individuals watching porn for recreational purposes?

[AGDee]

If I ever had to use computers there, I believe I'd be taking some latex or neoprine (sp?) gloves with me. Ewwwww

[PM_Mama00]

Wow that's crazy shit. UM-Dearborn only allows students on the computers and blocks out porn, although one time in our graphic design class my friend accidentally came upon some when searching for a graphic.

[_Opi_]

The undergrad library has a public section (the 1st floor) that the community can use..

The computers on the 2nd and 3rd floor are for students only.


But everyone knows about the porn problem on the 1st and even 2nd floor..and that the UGL is not really a library but a secondary student center.


I wouldn't touch the 1st and 2nd floor keyboards with a ten-foot pole! It's really THAT gross!