Easier to get a room: New Union room registration system is a needed change that’s easier for staff, students

The days of ridiculous lines, spending the night and headaches involved in reserving a room through the Student Union are fading into the past.

We couldn’t be happier.

This week, the Student Union took a leap into the 21st century and moved room reservation for about 70 spaces around campus online.

And the transition seems to have been completed without any of the major technological mishaps most of us brace for when services move online.

The old process was inefficient. Students had to wait in line the night before just to reserve a room.

Perhaps the camaraderie built through that experience will be missed, but the new system allows students to register without leaving their beds.

Don Luse, director of the Carolina Union, said that the system was created in response to a request from the Carolina Union Activities Board and complaints from student groups.

It’s nice to see administrators being so responsive to students, and Luse and his team seem to have created a system that’s win-win. It’s easier for students and Union employees don’t have to plan for students spending the night.

Now the only problem seems to be with students. Some students didn’t complete the entire online application.

The new system might be more efficient and quicker, but students might want to take a deep breath before plunging into this new area. Just because you don’t have to spend the night doesn’t mean you’re not responsible for completing the application.

Luse said the Union will wait for more comments before making any changes to the system.

This seems like a well-measured response.

There’s little about the new system that needs changing, but perhaps it would be beneficial to all parties to have some feature that slows the process down a bit — ensuring that students correctly complete the online application.

Overall, we’re pleased with the new room registration system the Union staff has designed, making it less of a hassle for students to simply reserve a room.