On Wednesday night students living in the residence halls were treated with cookies brought by members of the University of Wisconsin - Superior faculty.

The catch? They had to answer one question – what would you change about UWS to make it better?

The answers ranged from the serious – wider variety in the cafeteria – to the humorous – being paid to attend UWS instead of the other way around.

This faculty-student interaction was a part of Hive Night, a program started last fall and held two or three times each semester to bridge the gap between faculty and students.

“We get to talk to students and find out what their concerns are,” said Residence Life Director Ryan Kreuser. “We’ve been able to follow up on some of them.”

One of the most common wishes was that the cafeteria was open longer because of late classes. Students were pleased to hear that when the Yellowjacket Union opens next semester, the cafeteria will be open until 10:00 p.m.

Other concerns dealt with life in the residence halls.

Some students complained about the price of laundry and asked why we didn’t have machines that used their student IDs instead of quarters. Kreuser responded that when he was doing the laundry contract last year, he found out it actually costs more per load to have that technology.

Rachel Kepler and Erin Freitag complained that their rooms were too white.

“Everything’s so white. I feel like I’m in a prison,” said Frietag.

Crownhart RA Matt Amerson had Superior’s cold winter weather on his mind.

“It would be nice if there were tunnels,” he said. “Or, not even tunnels but walk ways [like the sky walk between Erlanson and Old Main] – especially now the buildings are closer.”

Besides just the students getting to voice their concerns, the faculty also gets to learn a little bit more about the students and their lives in the residence halls.

When Crownhart resident Nicole Zappitello wanted to know if they were handing out study bucks, she had to explain to Student Leadership Coordinator Ann Miller what they were – slips of paper that RAs give to residents they see studying while on rounds. The residents can then turn in their study bucks to a prize drawing.

“I want study bucks!” exclaimed Miller. “Can I get work bucks?”

Wednesday night’s Hive Night was the third one held this semester. If you live in the residence halls and missed out on the night, leave your room door open. You never know when somebody might stop by with a free cookie.