Lincoln Hall, which is vacant, might become a new home for students to study at, with 509 students responding to the idea through a survey.

Freshman accounting major Selena Saucedo was part of an English 104 class that pitched the idea of turning Lincoln Hall into a place where students can study as long as they want.

The survey allows students to share their opinions on turning Lincoln Hall into a place to study. Saucedo said the idea was created with the assistance of Media Services, which helped create the survey and gave her permission to send it to student emails.

Saucedo sent the survey on April 1 to every students’ Z-ID e-mails and recorded their responses. The survey asked if students had difficulty with the walking distance to the library or finding a beneficial place to study.

“I think the idea will help with the student retention issue and [will] keep students on campus,” Saucedo said.

The hall would have a Starbucks and sub shop students could access with their meal plans. Saucedo said she showed her idea to NIU President Doug Baker.

“The plan is still in the air. It’s not concrete right now,” Saucedo said.

Saucedo said the process of her project was long and tedious, but it’s worth pitching an idea that students might benefit from in the later future. The process consisted of filling out forms to authorize the surveys and assembling and condensing the plan.

Freshman nursing major Alex Inderhees said she doesn’t study because she thinks she does worse when she does, but thinks the change could help many students.

“It would benefit students because Lincoln is close to most of the residential halls besides Neptune,” Inderhees said.

Johnathan Fragoso, freshman pre-physical therapy major, said the hall should provide computers and support for students to access resources needed to study.

“I think it’d be a great idea. I have a problem with finding resources to study with,” Fragoso said.