Students Unhappy About Construction

  

Construction at Valley City State is putting a damper at the beginning of the semester for returning and incoming students this fall. “Getting to classes on time and maneuvering around campus is not an easy task”, said Travis Bomber, Junior at VCSU. This scenario creates a whole mess of issues for the students and campus  which may in turn affect the overall college experience. 

Bomber commented, “The construction has been quite hectic, first it takes away from parking which crowds the streets then it also makes people have to drive around it wasting more gas than necessary.”  

Students on campus were beginning to wonder why the project wasn’t started earlier this summer. Many students said they had been here the entire summer and it didn’t seem like much construction was happening. This is odd as one would think the renovations of the streets would want to be completed when hardly anyone is on campus. Ryan Mehus, golfer and senior at VCSU said, “When you do it during the school year, not only does it interfere with all of the students and teachers trying to navigate around campus, but you’re also running into winter and with snow coming who knows if they will even get it finished in time.”

Numerous students are complaining about the situation day in and day out, constantly wondering when construction will get done and whether or not the outside conditions will allow them to finish. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, the project could be stopped and resumed in the spring which wouldn’t sit well with students. Those trying to get to class and work are crossing their fingers that the weather will work with them and not against. 

Not only is the construction posing driving problems, but it’s affecting the lives of those who live on campus. Bomber commented, “I've heard the residents of Mccoy complain about the noise waking them up in the morning which causes them to be tired throughout the day.” Students may not only be affected physically, but mentally as well. This could pose problems in the classroom and create a lack of focus for the students. Teachers may not be getting the best attention from those this fall as a shortage of sleep can wear down one’s body. 

As the semester winds down, it seems like the construction will be put on hold, for the most part. While the snow is hitting the ground, construction crews are finishing up the projects and reopening streets. The construction was a temporary problem at Valley City State this fall, but students cannot wait for the project to disappear as a whole. However, construction will continue to be a part of the lives in Valley City as the town is still recovering from the 2009 flood. The large machinery took a toll on the streets, but the trade off of saving the town was much more important. Students for the time being will continue bearing with construction crews, but look forward to a normal campus again.