After looking around campus, it becomes apparent—the construction that we have all been hearing so much about for the past year is finally underway. This summer was marked by a rash of campus improvement projects, including the renovation of Bray and Cary Halls, the installation of more lighting and emergency call boxes around campus, and even groundbreaking of the Biotech Center.
While it is true that the construction comes with its own set of inconveniences—parking spots on campus have become scarce, detours are necessary through some parts of campus, and the construction brings a bit of chaos as things are being ripped up—the promised end will be a better campus overall.
The best part is that we’re finally seeing the things that we’ve been hearing about for years. Hearing about the plans was a good beginning, but something as concrete as a groundbreaking is far better. Constantly changing plans and pretty maps aren’t nearly as productive as the work that we’ve seen done over the summer.
Right now, we have holes in the ground and a few cosmetic changes. A few months ago we didn’t even have that. And in a few years those holes will be a useful part of RPI. As we await the promised parking garage to alleviate the current parking woes and the Biotech Center to enable us to win bigger and better grants, it’s important to be patient with all the temporary problems that have been arising.
