Callie Parish//The Daily Cougar

With finals week upon all UH students, we are forced to begin our search for the ultimate study utopia. Personal apartments and dorm rooms are not viable options as they contain the mattress, the refrigerator and the Netflix, making concentration difficult.

Whenever a Cougar must venture outside of their comfort zone to find a place conducive to studying, M.D. Anderson Memorial Library is the haven that comes to mind.

In 1927, UH was known as Houston Junior College, and what would come to be known as M.D. Anderson Memorial Library was just a young, restless library trying to find its place in the big ol’ city, according to the library’s website. Shedding its homely persona, the library moved from place to place — San Jacinto High School’s library, San Jacinto High School’s music room and Roy G. Cullen.

In 1951, M.D. Anderson Memorial Library showed the world that it could grow from housing only 1,988 volumes to 50,000. Today, despite the accessibility to thousands of books, the library’s abundant resources are primarily accessed through its computers.

Since its permanent placement on campus — and in our hearts — M.D. Anderson Memorial Library has become the place for stressed students to access a strong Wi-Fi connection and air conditioning.

During finals week, the library is a great gathering place for throngs of stressed students. As for other times during the semester, the library is chosen as a quiet place to sneak in a nap between classes.

Within the walls of the library, students can be found studying their sanity away, freaking out at Finals Mania or perhaps emulating John Nash from “A Beautiful Mind” by writing on windows with Expo Markers. I anxiously await the day an exhausted student reaches for a Sharpie or Highlighter.

Downsides of the library include the shaky elevators, the questionable corners in which some study cubicles are located and chilly air conditioning. The cold air could be attributed to the presumption that a cold room helps the mind focus — or maybe some people just enjoy hearing teeth chatter.

Overall, M.D. Anderson Memorial Library is a place to bond with fellow Cougars who are just as close to the brink of sanity as the rest of us. Hang in there, Cougars, you’re almost done.

Opinion Editor Kelly Schafler is a print journalism junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

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“Buildings of UH: M.D. Anderson Memorial Library” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar