As cold weather sets in, classes are in full force and football is halfway over, Auburn students are finally in the groove of school. However, one pesky project knocks most every student off track.

Earlier this month the university closed the main walkway that student use to get to almost every building on campus, the concourse. While this construction was a necessary project, the timing seems a bit off.

Fall semester is the semester that has the most students in attendance. There are also college visits, sports events and much more going on around campus. Any other semester would have been a better option than the one right now.

People question why the construction had to happen now, and several theories have been introduced. One theory is that he university felt that since the beloved Auburn Tigers will not have a home game until November 8, they would have plenty of time to finish construction without interfering with the visiting fans.

Students wonder however, if this was their thinking, why were the students, faculty and staff not considered? It is students, faculty and staff that have to use the concourse everyday. They must find a way to get across campus in small amounts of time and find ways to deal with all the noise that construction causes.

One student, Megan Davis, wondered why this construction could not have been done at some other time. She suggested that maybe this past summer would have been a better time to do the construction. There are fewer students on campus; therefore less people would have been affected. She also suggested that maybe they could have waited until Christmas break. The entire campus will be vacant for a large amount of time, giving them a more efficient workspace.

A second theory that has been brought about is that the university wanted the concourse fixed and perfect for the grand opening of the new student union. While this building opened for business a few weeks ago, the grand opening will be held on November 8, during Homecoming weekend. Auburn wants the entrance to the $35 million building to be special and without flaw.

This reasoning makes sense. However, it is students tuition that helps pay for these extensive projects so shouldn’t the students be asked their opinion?

Closing the concourse causes several problems; for starters, student, faculty and staff must find new routes to their destinations. These new routes often are roundabout and take more time. Davis said that she is now forced to leave home close to 10 minutes earlier because she must walk a lot further. While 10 minutes seems minor for some, for students, 10 minutes can be vital, especially is if classes start at 8:00 a.m.

It also causes problems for those students who ride the tiger transit. One of the transit stops is behind the new student center. Unless those students are going to Haley Center or the business building, they are forced to find a new route to the proper building.


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