Between the Lines
Last week I was walking behind the Arts &Sciences building and overheard a few students talking about the library construction. No one knew when it would be finished, and no one cared.
Before I started interviewing for this issue’s library article, I was as doubtful as any Georgia College & State University student who is fed up with campus construction. With the new dorms, new underground pipes and new library, the mess never seems to go away and the hassle far outweighs the benefits some other GC&SU generation will enjoy.
The delays during the library construction seem ridiculous — the worst of which involves those huge windows on the north and south ends of the new building. After the glass was installed someone noticed that the pattern on some of the windows wasn’t the same. The manufacturer was called to explain and/or correct the mistake and uh oh! They’d gone out of business and GC&SU was forced to look elsewhere for more matching windows.
Next, there were issues with the carpet. Did it match? Was it of quality?
Then I thought I was really losing it when they started tearing bricks off the upper floors. I wasn’t crazy; it was just another problem delaying the build for some unknown amount of time. After all, I haven’t been able to find a parking space for the last two years, so what would another month or two matter?
My negative attitude changed the moment I stepped into the new library. Even though it’s a long way from complete, I can already imagine a building bustling with student activity.
Just think of it this way: they closed our old coffee house and library, but gave us a $19.5 million replacement. Also, remember the hassles caused by the new dorm construction? All the bad memories were wiped away when the ribbon was cut and students were allowed in the new Parkhurst and Foundation Halls.
I can assure you, walking into the new library will surprise even the most jaded student. It is by far the most impressive structure on campus and officials say it should be ready before the end of this semester.
What happens if it’s another empty promise?
Just keep in mind that students aren’t the only ones who are suffering. Before the library staff moves everything over, a shaft filled with heating pipes must be demolished. Therefore, everyone working in the old building will be without heat until they move into the new building. So, in some small way, our pain is their pain.
For some, the sooner the library goes up, the sooner some will have to think of an excuse to not go there. Hopefully the construction will teach us that the longest waits create the greatest anticipation and hopefully the most valuable rewards. If the construction gods are willing, our library situation will be no different and sooner than you think we’ll be scouring the aisles for books we don’t know how to find in a multimillion dollar coffee shop that took up hundreds of badly needed parking spaces to build.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Jan 16 2004. Filed under Opinion.
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