Nurse Jackie is a drama-comedy show about a nurse who, like many Baruch students, faces daily commutes, long days, heavy workloads, and having to battle her way through a crowded workplace. She just may be able to sympathize with students who had to traverse the overcrowded lobby of Baruch on days that the show was filmed outside the Vertical Campus on 25th street.

The issue plagued students during the fall 2010 semester on days when the Showtime hit show filmed scenes using the VC as the exterior of the fictional All-Saints Hospital.

The filming of Nurse Jackie created delays and pandemonium on days when it was filmed, which was often. A prominent issue concerning the filming was that students were not informed of days that the filming would be taking place.

The crews would take over the entire 25th street entrance to the VC, often forcing students to walk completely around the building to the 24th Street entrance instead. In some cases, students would be forced by set security to remain on the outskirts of the campus, or in front of the Newman Library building,until a scene had concluded filming.

"They would stop me from entering the library, or heading out to get lunch. They just got in the way," explained Christina Hartwell, a sophomore.

This issue posed a huge problem for students rushing to class from the library or the streets. Because of the closure of the entrance, an influx of students would have to pass through only one entrance with limited turnstiles. The congestion on days when filming took place would back up access to school before classes were set to begin.

"Last semester I had to get to class for an exam, I tried to get through 25th and Lexington, and they would not let me come through," said Adeel Ahmed, a senior. "I asked them if they were serious, telling them I had an exam. They told me to wait or to walk around the VC. I had to walk around the campus and ended up being late to the exam."

The filming conducted on weekdays further crowded Baruch's already-congested halls. If a student was unfortunate enough to have a professor that did not care for excuses, this could have proven to be hindrance to attendance.

Besides providing additional hurdles to the already busy lives of Baruch students, it also posed queries of what was being done with the funds accumulated for allowing the filming to be done on campus. "If they are paying the school the rent, I think the school should see a change, where is this money going?," asked Hashim Ali. "Is it making a change for us, or is it making a change for the administration?"

Gabriel Eszterhas, vice president for administration and finance, was asked last Wednesday for information about Baruch's contract with Showtime and for information on the funds Baruch had earned from this contract. However, he did not respond in time for the publication of this article.