Nearly everyone in the RPI community is aware of the new buildings and construction projects on campus, namely the Center for Biotechnology & Interdisciplinary Studies, the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, and the East Campus Athletic Village. These buildings are all being built in order to further Rensselaer in an academic, extracurricular, and athletic manner. With such a large focus on adding new facilities, there are several buildings on campus in desperate need of renovation that are being overlooked.
Up until this semester, I had never even been inside the Ricketts Building. I now have a class that meets at noon on the second floor of Ricketts. While I enjoy the subject matter of the class, I sometimes dread the time spent in the building due to unbearable heat and cramped desk space. The heat is becoming less of an issue as we move toward winter, but all too often I find myself bumping arms with those sitting next to me as I write. The size and condition of the desks makes those in the DCC seem like a luxury.
The building was originally opened in 1935, and while I am sure that some renovations have been done since then, it seems to have gone mostly untouched. The Carnegie Building is in a similar condition. It would be admirable if both of these buildings were renovated to compare favorably to the Troy and Pittsburgh Buildings, and Walker Labs.
Not only are some of the academic buildings in need of an upgrade, but many of the upper-class residence halls could also use a fair amount of work. This includes, but is not limited to: North Hall, E-Complex, the Quad, and the Colonie Apartments. Inadequate bathrooms, pest problems, outdated and aging furnishings, and general disrepair plague these buildings. One Poly staff member recently moved out of his room in the Quad because of water seeping into his carpet from below his room. The layout of rooms in the Quad is also prohibitive to the development of a community environment.
The Colonie Apartments, where I live, are in similarly poor condition, with problems including: old community kitchen appliances, poorly placed outlets and network ports, and general wear and tear that has resulted from insufficient upkeep. While filling out my room condition report at the beginning of the semester, my RA noted that many of the things that were not listed as being damaged in Colonie would have been listed in other newer residence halls. One might get the impression that upper-class residence halls are neglected in favor of freshman halls that prospective students are more often shown.
While I fully appreciate the ongoing improvements to the RPI campus, I believe that many of the buildings that have the largest impact on students are being overlooked. Students spend a large portion of their time in their residence halls, and as such, these buildings should be kept in some semblance of good condition.
