Homeless Man in Library

Everyone knows that the University of Florida is a public school, meaning that anyone can be on campus or using its resources; even if what they’re doing is completely random. However, do we really expect to see homeless people in Library West? It feels like finals week with the stress I have from two of my classes and I’m going on my second all-nighter. I walk into the library, and make an immediate right to get my venti Skinny Vanilla Latte with low-fat whipped cream (the best drink to study with because of the wonderful taste yet low calories). I take the stairs to the 3^rd floor to meet up with some friends from class and set up my laptop and books. We’re all talking and studying and then we hear a weird moaning noise coming from the computers, but then it goes away instantly. Slightly delirious from all the coffee and lack of sleep, I have to look at what is going on. I see a homeless man, in his sixties, watching porn on the library computers!!!

            My mouth literally dropped open and I just stared because I honestly didn’t know how to react; was there really a homeless man watching porn in Library West? Where are the people that walk and monitor who uses the computers and what they’re doing? Shouldn’t there be a firewall or limited access to sites like those unless needed for research papers? (Obviously he wasn’t there to do research). All of these questions were flooding my head and I had no idea what to think. It didn’t help that one my best guy friends was there and he just started cracking up! But thankfully he came to his senses and went and told the assistant working at the computer; the man was escorted out of the building.

            This entire incident completely ruined my train of thought for studying, that’s for sure. I truly believe that anyone should be able to use the library no matter who they are, even if it’s a homeless man that just wants to sit in a comfortable chair and keep warm. The thing that bothered me the most about this was being able to watch porn in the library. That’s completely disturbing and rude for any person studying to see or hear. We are all adults who are using these computers, even though many students don’t act like it. We shouldn’t have to have firewalls and security walking around monitoring our actions, especially if it’s for a project. But when it comes to watching any type of nudity or pornography, there really should be a block in the computer system. If the student or outside party can show proof that it’s for studies they can have the block lifted by inserting a password or some key they can get at the desk. Even though it will always be awkwardly uncomfortable for anyone to see this, having an actual reason might make the others feel at ease. The best conclusion our student government and libraries could come to would be to have a small computer lab for students conducting this research to go to; away from the common public just working on calculus homework.  

            I wish I could say that I don’t feel like I would have seen this from a UF student, they can do that on their personal time; however, there’s many accounts of students masturbating in weird public places. The homeless man obviously had no other access to it, so this was the best place for him, but that’s not an excuse. Firewalls should be put up so pornography and nudity couldn’t be available on public computers, unless for research purposes.