Students deserve information about campus construction

Beep, beep, beep, beep. The sound of machinery in reverse has become a staple of the atmosphere around Laurier campus and Waterloo in general. It seems like everywhere you turn, there are buildings going up or buildings being taken down, with the incessant rumbling of dump trucks and forklifts beginning early in the day and going well into the evening.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve become a master of the detour over the past month, finding ways around all of the roadblocks and fences that seem to be in the most inconvenient places. For Laurier students, the most pronounced fence of all is the big black one in the middle of campus, right in front of the Terrace expansion. This area, a junction for travel to all areas of campus, has been off limits since last semester, including all the way through the summer months.

Anyone who has been on this campus for a couple years will remember the old stone steps and ramps that used to give students a quick shortcut from one side of campus to the other, without having to go through the crowds that frequent the main indoor routes. I can’t say that the extra 15 seconds it takes to walk down to Mid-Campus Drive is really a major inconvenience during the day, but as someone who often spends late nights on campus it becomes much more of an issue.

Those of you who have spent late nights in the library will know the hassle that comes from trying to get around campus after midnight. Most of the outer doors are locked at this hour and trying to find a way into the school becomes a bit of an adventure as you and the rest of the people leaving the library at closing time try door after door, trying to find a way through the school to avoid the long detour required by walking outside.

Besides inconvenience, forcing students to walk off the beaten path late at night can also present a safety issue. Instead of being able to travel through the more heavily frequented, well-lit areas of campus, we’re stuck having to walk along Albert Street or around Alumni Hall and Little House residence.

My suggestion is to stick together with your fellow night owls or give Foot Patrol a call, even if it’s just for the sake of having a flashlight handy.

And for those trying to get to the Concourse or FNCC — the doors open 24 hours include the FNCC front entrance and through the music building.
Honestly, what bothers me more than the construction itself is feeling like there’s a lack of information about when we can expect it to be over. A quick search for information on the WLU website only produces information about projects that have long been completed.

I don’t believe it’s unfair for us to ask for more information on how ongoing construction will affect our experience.

As work begins on the new Global Innovation Exchange building, I encourage all involved to be more transparent about the unstated consequences that this project might have for students and also for students to be more outspoken about issues that affect them. If you have a problem with something on campus, speak up in the discussion section on wlusu.com or send word to one of your directors so that they can follow up on your concerns and work to solve the issue.