Continued construction on UConn’s campus has closed North Eagleville Road, as well as it’s sidewalks and caused disruption to both staff and students. The construction will bring a new recreation and science building. (Zhelun Lang/Daily Campus)
I currently only have one word for UConn: Why? You had all summer to get yourself together yet I still come back to find the place a damn mess? For anyone who doesn’t know, there is currently more construction going on around campus than usual (which is saying a lot). North Eagleville Road is closed for infrastructure repairs, with many surrounding sidewalks closed off as well. Instead of crosswalks there are police officers and workers directing traffic and people. Several parts of Hillside Road also have construction by the sidewalks and the entire area by North Garage and MSB are blocked off as well. Other than that, the new rec center and science building are still being constructed.
Yes, I know, construction on college campuses is normal. I distinctly remember college tours where the guide would point to construction and say something along the lines of, “If your campus isn’t constantly growing, it’s dying.” Which, don’t get me wrong, I completely understand. I know the school needs to be constantly improving and I think it’s great. What I don’t find great is being screamed at by a cop for walking on the road instead of taking a detour that is completely out of my way to class. As a student living in Northwest, it is literally impossible for me to leave my dorm without having to take a detour around the construction. Honestly, it’s starting to get old real quick. It takes extra long to get to my classes and just around campus in general. I don’t even know what they’re doing or what the point is, but I know it adds 10 minutes to my walk. I don’t have a car on campus but I know it must also be extremely inconvenient for those who do. Just driving to my dorm on move in day was quite a hassle due to detours.
Not only is it inconvenient, but everyone (myself included) seems to be pretty confused about where we are supposed to be walking. Weren’t we taught to walk on sidewalks? Now we’re being directed to cross through traffic because the sidewalk is closed but the road is closed too. It is just a mess. It sort of seems like they don’t really want students to be walking anywhere. Which, once again, is why this is something that should have been completed in the summer while no one was on campus.
Then there’s all those tall fences up with the UConn logo and some paragraph about making campus better and expanding horizons as if it covers up the ugliness of the construction. There are pictures of students smiling and having a great time, but I for one do not see any smiles as 50 people are crowded around a made up crosswalk waiting to be allowed to walk. What do you think you are hiding behind those fences UConn? First of all, we can see through them and, second of all, this campus is still looking like a mess regardless if they’re up or not. There are big trucks and open holes in the road and piles of dirt and so many other things that make campus feel more like a construction zone and less like a college. If your new nickname is University of Construction, that’s definitely a bad sign.
Of course, I know the construction is necessary and will help improve our school. All I’m saying is that I and all students here at UConn and I can certainly agree that it’s been really annoying and I am not looking forward to dealing with detours until December or even later.
Melissa Scrivani is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at melissa.scrivani@uconn.edu.
