2008 Woodie Awards
Pardon the mess around you
Tony Patrico
Issue date: 8/21/07 Section: Opinion
With the school year underway, many are wondering what is going on with all the construction. Trust me, being on campus all summer has sparked a fire in my brain asking the same question. Everywhere I went there was an orange barricade, a detour sign, or a "do not enter" warning. Needless to say, I found myself becoming more and more frustrated each time I tried to get from one place to the other.
Then I thought about something that is rarely discussed during construction. In a society where people want everything right now, with no wait, the virtue of patience has been wiped away. I found myself hitting my steering wheel, talking to myself, and becoming red in the face over a simple 30-second detour that got me to the same place I needed to get to in the first place. Then as I sat in my parking space, I took a look at the new residence hall, Evergreen Hall.
That's when it hit me. The construction on the roads, in the parking lots, and with the completion of Evergreen, the university is going through these changes for an amazing reason. Take a second and walk up to Evergreen Hall or see if you have a friend staying in that residence hall and check it out. It's beautiful. Everything is built with the hopes that a student can take everything they can from the college experience. It's a perfect place to start or finish your college career.
Now, you may be wondering what this has to do with the roads being bumpy or the parking lots being resurfaced, or even the shoulder work being done throughout campus. Well, I thought that day that all the construction made no sense and was just another reason to make me late. But, after thinking about it, it all made sense. The wait is worth it all, because now, everything is coming together and the university is changing from the inside out.
Think about the other construction being done, the athletic construction as we reclassify ourselves into NCAA Division I competitors, the construction of the new banner system where students are becoming more dependent on adding and dropping their classes, and finally, the physical changes going on throughout the campus. Take a look around and actually notice some of the changes, things are coming together.
So, while you may think that the construction, or the changes in the campus may be difficult and cause problems, remember: Rome wasn't built in a day, so neither is a university.
Then I thought about something that is rarely discussed during construction. In a society where people want everything right now, with no wait, the virtue of patience has been wiped away. I found myself hitting my steering wheel, talking to myself, and becoming red in the face over a simple 30-second detour that got me to the same place I needed to get to in the first place. Then as I sat in my parking space, I took a look at the new residence hall, Evergreen Hall.
That's when it hit me. The construction on the roads, in the parking lots, and with the completion of Evergreen, the university is going through these changes for an amazing reason. Take a second and walk up to Evergreen Hall or see if you have a friend staying in that residence hall and check it out. It's beautiful. Everything is built with the hopes that a student can take everything they can from the college experience. It's a perfect place to start or finish your college career.
Now, you may be wondering what this has to do with the roads being bumpy or the parking lots being resurfaced, or even the shoulder work being done throughout campus. Well, I thought that day that all the construction made no sense and was just another reason to make me late. But, after thinking about it, it all made sense. The wait is worth it all, because now, everything is coming together and the university is changing from the inside out.
Think about the other construction being done, the athletic construction as we reclassify ourselves into NCAA Division I competitors, the construction of the new banner system where students are becoming more dependent on adding and dropping their classes, and finally, the physical changes going on throughout the campus. Take a look around and actually notice some of the changes, things are coming together.
So, while you may think that the construction, or the changes in the campus may be difficult and cause problems, remember: Rome wasn't built in a day, so neither is a university.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jorge
posted 8/21/07 @ 11:36 AM CST
How does construction improve the campus immeadiatly? I get what this guy is trying to say how the newest stuff is the best. However, construction is just a hassle and makes travelling difficult. (Continued…)
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