School of the Arts students barred from the MAT
Following student complaints, the MAT is now off-limits to SOTA students.
Emmi Buck
Issue date: 2/2/10 Section: News
Signs posted on the Mattress Factory main door alert Tacoma School of the Arts students that they are no longer allowed in the MAT.
UW Tacoma students have noticed the change, seeing fewer or no SOTA students using the pool tables or watching T.V. in the MAT. According to Jim Nelson, SOTA security liaison, UWT students complained that SOTA students were being too loud and using the billiards tables. Nelson said the students were warned a couple of times and to remember that they were guests on the UWT campus.
"Through my investigations I found out that it was only four or five students that were causing the majority of the problems," Nelson said. "So to keep peace with everyone we decided to put the MAT off-limits to every body form SOTA."
Coco Bob's owners Bob and Sharon Feller said that they have noticed less SOTA students, but they never recalled having any issues with them as customers. Terrance Walter, who works at nearby Meta Books said that he hasn't had major problems with the SOTA students either.
"They know not to be rowdy in here; it's a bookstore," Walter said. "If they were too loud, you just asked them to quiet down and they did."
An employee from local clothing store "The Cool - Lifestyle Boutique" mentioned that they had even had a SOTA student as an intern. When asked if they had any problems with SOTA students, or if they were respectful, he replied, "I wouldn't call them respectful, but we haven't had any problems with them."
A group of UWT students were overheard talking about the absence of the SOTA students, and they seemed to be most pleased with the new situation. Their comments were enthusiastic about having the MAT back to themselves.
When asked to comment about the situation, a SOTA student said, "We don't even know what the MAT is. We don't really care."
UW Tacoma students have noticed the change, seeing fewer or no SOTA students using the pool tables or watching T.V. in the MAT. According to Jim Nelson, SOTA security liaison, UWT students complained that SOTA students were being too loud and using the billiards tables. Nelson said the students were warned a couple of times and to remember that they were guests on the UWT campus.
"Through my investigations I found out that it was only four or five students that were causing the majority of the problems," Nelson said. "So to keep peace with everyone we decided to put the MAT off-limits to every body form SOTA."
Coco Bob's owners Bob and Sharon Feller said that they have noticed less SOTA students, but they never recalled having any issues with them as customers. Terrance Walter, who works at nearby Meta Books said that he hasn't had major problems with the SOTA students either.
"They know not to be rowdy in here; it's a bookstore," Walter said. "If they were too loud, you just asked them to quiet down and they did."
An employee from local clothing store "The Cool - Lifestyle Boutique" mentioned that they had even had a SOTA student as an intern. When asked if they had any problems with SOTA students, or if they were respectful, he replied, "I wouldn't call them respectful, but we haven't had any problems with them."
A group of UWT students were overheard talking about the absence of the SOTA students, and they seemed to be most pleased with the new situation. Their comments were enthusiastic about having the MAT back to themselves.
When asked to comment about the situation, a SOTA student said, "We don't even know what the MAT is. We don't really care."
Be the first to comment on this story