Thursday, 5/1/97 Powell attracts its millionth ‘guest’ No twin
arches, but still a great place to study, read, and sleep
By Michelle Navarro Daily Bruin Contributor Powell Library
recently joined the ranks with fast-food giant McDonald’s in that
it is now officially a member of the elite "Over one million
served" clique. Without a clue about the excitement and crowd that
awaited her behind the doors to Powell Library, Llanyee Liwanpo, a
first-year biochemistry student, stepped into the library and
became the millionth visitor Wednesday morning. "I had no idea. I
never expected anything," Liwanpo said, "I walked in and saw a
whole bunch of people, but I thought it was a tour or something.
Then someone said, ‘Oh, there she is.’" The anticipation for the
event has been building up among the library employees during the
past week while they kept their eyes glued to the increasing number
posted in the entrance of the Powell Library. "When the number
reached around 200 short, we all went down to the lobby. Some
students even walked out and then back in again to try and be the
one," said Eleanor Mitchell, head librarian of Powell Library.
"When she walked in, the crowd broke into spontaneous cheering."
Llanyee received a certificate reading, "You’re one in a million,"
a Powell tote-bag, a t-shirt, and a bag of blue and gold
jellybeans, all for her grand entrance into the building
affectionately known to students as the "concentration camp." "We
have an electric counter on the door. It counts the number of
people going in and the number of people going out of the library,"
Mitchell said, "we check it every single day and then divide that
number in half. Everyone who comes in has to leave, at least we
hope they do." Mitchell said they began the count when the library
opened in September 1996. From that moment on, the counter has been
rolling, as students continue to use the library for its resources,
as well as for the old, comfy couches, hard wooden desks, and a
huge computer lab. "I come here a lot at night, mostly to study and
use the computer lab, because it’s open. At home I don’t really
study because there are too many distractions – I’d rather sleep. I
can sleep here but it hurts my arm and I drool," said Derald
Brenneman, a fourth-year political science student. According to
Mitchell, Powell has been very popular. Features like Night Powell,
the beauty of the architecture and the computer lab have made it
the hot spot among libraries. "I come here to check my e-mail and
to study because it’s prettier," said Cassandra Flenker, a fourth-
year business economics student. "All the architecture makes me
actually feel like I’m (at) a higher institution of learning, as
opposed to URL, which looks like a mental hospital." SHAWN
LAKSMI/Daily Bruin Yesterday at approximately 11:10 a.m., the one
millionth visitor walked into the new Powell Library. Llanyee
Liwanpo is a first year bio-chemistry student. She received a tote
bag with a T-shirt and jellybeans inside. Related Links: College
Library’s home page