Campus to receive summer makeover

As the end of the semester swiftly approaches and many students begin their plans of beach vacations filled with sun-kissed skin and bleached hair, the University has its own plans for a summer makeover.

Several construction projects around campus, including the current renovations in Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library, are slated to begin during the beginning of the summer semester and, with the exception of a few projects, end before students return for the fall semester.

Tim Leopard, the head of construction management, said the plans include some renovations to McLure and Gorgas Libraries, Lloyd Hall and extensive renovations to Adams Hall.

In addition, the University plans to do roadwork west of the intersection of Jack Warner Parkway and Hackberry Lane. Though the construction will divert traffic through the South Ridgecrest area of campus throughout the summer, it will prevent the traffic from doing so during the school year, he said.

"We have planned for some time now to do these projects over the summer when the least amount of students will be on campus," Leopard said. "This way there will not be as much traffic congestion due to the construction than there would be during the fall."

The construction around Lloyd Hall will affect pedestrians during the summer, but is something that most math and science majors are used to seeing, he said.

Even though the construction will affect students who frequent these buildings, some students say that it is not an inconvenience and that walking around the construction sites is not a big deal.

"There are not enough students who take summer school that will really be affected by this construction," said Matt Bell, a senior majoring in restaurant and hospitality management. "I have most of my classes in Lloyd and Shelby and I still don't really run into the construction going on around there."

Though he uses the second floor of Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library regularly, Bell said that he can easily go to another floor to study.

"It's difficult because Gorgas is in the heart of campus and I don't want to walk to another library," he said. "But the construction isn't distracting enough to go somewhere else anyway."

Some students said they think even though Gorgas Library is a popular place to study the construction won't disrupt too many students' lives.

"If they really need to do it, then they should," Drew Campbell, a freshman majoring in pre-business, said. "There are always other options for students and it will be worth it in the end."

Although he doesn't really drive around campus, Campbell said doing the construction during the summer while most students are gone is a good idea because of the increasing traffic during the school year.

Keeping its students in mind, the University decided the summer would be the best time to do these renovations, Leopard said. Buildings like Adams, which will be closed during the summer, are easiest to work on because classes can easily be scheduled in another building, he said.

"We really try to minimize the impact of construction on the students and faculty members," Leopard said. "That is why we are working hard to finish before they return for the fall semester."