Johnson Center too noisy, distracting to hold a class

Editor,

I have taken advantage of the facilities offered at the Johnson Center. It is a great place to work out, and I am sure it is a great place to participate in various sporting events, if you are into that kind of thing.

In fact, I wish I could spend more time improving my physical health and overall sense of well-being by engaging in more activities at the Johnson Center. I would certainly feel better about the facilities charges

included in my tuition if only I had more time to take advantage of what is offered there. I can deal with the fact that I work full time and don't have a lottery scholarship, which means I can't spend more time doing circuit training and taking yoga class. I am happy to contribute to the health and well-being of my fellow students. The Johnson Center is a fantastic place for so many things that I haven't even begun to explore.

However, it is not a suitable environment for a Spanish 301 course. I am approaching the end of my program, and here I have found the worst classroom environment I have ever experienced at UNM. The noise level in this classroom has been distracting for the entire semester, but yesterday I left class with my nerves entirely shattered from the noise collage of that 50-minute period. All I heard were the sounds of shoes screeching, the crowd going wild and the music pumping.

When I am not getting as much as possible out of a class, the only one I would want to blame is myself. Will UNM offer the affected students a rebate for the hardship of trying to learn under these conditions?

Lindsey Rankin

UNM student