Plans for the construction of the center of campus that is set to start at the end of this semester brings to light safety and timing concerns and a general disconnect with the student body. When Skiles Walkway was closed in the spring of 2009, a number of incidents arose from students being mugged in some of the darker alleys in the area. While some of those issues have been mitigated, the new construction sites will surely lead to others. The continued reduction of parking near the library will put more strain on an already overloaded Stingerette system. The Institute must direct more money into this transportation service or risk a possible increase in the number of crimes involving students forced to trek across campus at late hours.
While the remodeling of Skiles Walkway has long been made public information, the recent developments about fixing the plumbing in the Campanile and the construction of the new turnaround could have been delayed as not to further strain the pedestrian routes around the center of campus. While it is understandable that trying to get all the projects done at once will allow the fences to disappear more quickly, the logistical issues may still spell nightmares for students trying to navigate through the already cluttered center of campus. The compounded noise factor will further hinder use of major academic buildings in the area like the library.
The media blitz informing students about this construction is also a little too late. Most students have already finished up the registration process. Attempting to redo a schedule to help better accommodate for increases in travel time is nearly impossible to begin with and even more so with such late notice. All campus departments need to be more aware of the academic calendar the Institute sets and plan so students have the ability to adjust to major events happening on campus.