Starting Sunday, November 16th, 2025, the Athenaeum (Ath) will be open with OneCard access 24 hours, 7 days a week. Students will have constant access to the seating areas, printers, and computer checkout on all four floors of the Ath. The Library will maintain the current hours (Monday-Thursday, 7:30am-midnight. Friday, 7:30am-7pm. Saturday, 10am-7pm, Sunday, 12pm-midnight) due to staffing requirements. This is a major increase in the number of third spaces on campus. In fact, it doubles the number of spaces on campus all students can access after midnight. Prior to this change, the only indoor space on campus all students could access after midnight was the Public Safety waiting room. This means that commuters, post-baccalaureate students, and residential students, regardless of dorm, will be able to share a space at all hours. Because the Ath will remain unstaffed, this change comes at no cost to the college.
The new Ath hours came out of an effort of the Student Government Association (SGA), the Library & Learning Commons, and Public Safety. Max Ravnitzky ‘28, SGA Director of Academic Affairs, led this initiative. Associate Vice President for the Library & Learning Commons, Beatriz Hardy met with SGA members on November 11th and supported the proposal. Below is Ravnitzky’s official comment on the new hours:
“SGA had a meeting with the Associate Vice President for the Library & Learning Commons, Beatriz Hardy, on Tuesday November 11th. SGA President Houck, SGA Chief of Staff Liz Hannaford, and myself were present for this meeting. I led the advocacy effort and, in that meeting, SGA secured Dr. Hardy’s support in making the Ath open 24/7. Immediately following this meeting, I emailed the Director of Public Safety, Tiffany Justice, who said the change will go into effect Sunday November 16th, 2025. This has been an important issue for SGA and I that no space is regularly open to all students after midnight, except the waiting room of the public safety office. The lack of third spaces is another larger SGA focus this administration as it is an issue facing all students. This specific request partially was inspired by a conversation with AAGC [Alumni & Alumnae of Goucher College] Director Joseph Weintraub ’17 who informed me that the Ath used to have 24/7 hours.”
For many students this will come as a welcome change. The lack of third spaces on campus has been a consistent issue in recent Goucher history, especially in the wake of Alice’s Restaurant closing. Ath hours increase is one instance of student advocacy and ambition for more third spaces on campus.
Similarly, SGA Attorney General Elowyn Ingler ’28 is leading an effort in collaboration with SGA President Christian Houck ’25 to reopen The Gopher Hole as an event space. The Gopher Hole has previously operated as an event space and bar, serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. It closed in 2016 during renovations in Mary Fisher and has remained closed for nearly a decade. I spoke with Attorney General Ingler about the future of the Gopher Hole. Optimistically, in spring 2026, the Gopher Hole will be open for music events, club events, and open hours monitored by the SGA. This opening requires the support of Goucher Chief Financial Officer Brian Hutzley, whom SGA will be meeting with before Thanksgiving break.
Efforts like the Ath hours change and the reopening of the Gopher Hole signify students’ desire for more third spaces on campus. Chase O’Bryan ’29, is a musician and was excited to hear about a new possible music venue. “As a first year, one of the biggest issues with Goucher Campus is it’s very hard to connect with people. And it might just be Gen Z. I feel like I don’t really know anybody in my classes either. Like, people don’t talk. Like, it’s cool to be nonchalant and not talk to people nowadays. I think a third space like that [The Gopher Hole] would be a perfect thing to help people socialize.” Attorney General Ingler shared her excitement for the new Ath hours: “It’s really, really great. I often do like late night study time, especially with group projects. When we’re all available, it’s late at night. Not having to leave when the library closes is going to be really great.” Director Ravnitzky, after leading the Ath hours change, is “chuffed to bits.”
If you are interested in volunteering with SGA to clean up The Gopher Hole, email Attorney General Ingler at SGAAG@goucher.edu.
By Quinn Bolster ‘28
Featured Image Source: Quinn Bolster
