@StPaulDad - I believe the article said they were not in the student lounge (as perhaps they should have been) but were in some main lounge, that was closer/within earshot of the professors’ offices. Perhaps the previous recommendation that they use the student lounge was too subtle and not understood as meaning it was probably more than a polite suggestion. Maybe the faculty should have been clearer; maybe the communication issues were part of the problem. In my day, opportunities to work in and/or get funded by a professors research lab were prized situations, and the professor was free to select who they thought was the best fit for their lab, and they likely took many variables into consideration- not just subject matter knowledge.