COMMENTARY
Construction
leads to diminishing views
Chris Boyce
Why does it
seem that this year the wonderful images of green trees and beautiful
land that is so unique to this area have been replaced by images
of dirt, construction equipment and chaos?
More specifically,
campus this year seems overrun with construction projects and expansions.
The entrance
to our university, once shaded with trees, is now a huge mess of
dirt, machinery and orange fencing.
It's been a
disappointment to see these recent developments because this campus
itself has been a large source of enjoyment for me, whether walking
to class or hanging around on campus to sit or relax.
The area where
people sit near the creek is now abused with noise and dust and
its appeal has therefore been diminished.
When it's all
over with, Hardin Street will be a four-lane road, which will supposedly
alleviate traffic problems.
This all sounds
great, but when you take this construction and add it with the Holmes
Convocation Center construction and another project, more specifically
the bookstore expansion, it starts to get more discerning.
I can only imagine
the difficulties and frustrations with living right in the middle
of the madness Ñ say in Cannon or Hoey dorms. One of the major benefits
I enjoyed while living in East was the nice view of the mountains
I saw everyday from my window.
Not to say that
they're missing now, it's just diminished when you see that much
construction right in front of your face.
On the other
side of the road, numerous run-down businesses and houses sit waiting
to be torn down.
Is this really
what we want to see on the main street of the Appalachian State
campus?
Another project
that affects students is right at the heart of the campus.
The University
Bookstore expansion is more of an eyesore than an inconvenience,
yet it's inconvenient nonetheless.
Trying to get
to Belk Library from the student union means that you must go down
the main stairs and cut across the mall. This is reversed when trying
to get from the library to the student union.
These are small
problems though. The main negative to the bookstore expansion is
replacing three large trees with a pile of dirt and cement.
It really takes
away from campus when any trees are removed because the trees on
campus are a major source of beauty and identity for Appalachian
State University.
Sure it'd be
nice to have a bigger bookstore like universities such as the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or North Carolina State University,
but those universities don't have the space issue that we have in
Boone.
One of the big
problems facing the community of Boone is dealing with a growing
university housed in a small, un-expandable community.
Boone simply
can't expand because of its unique geography and forcing it will
only hurt the community's distinct culture and small-size appeal.
Appalachian
State is good for Boone for sure, and the same can be said about
Boone being good for Appalachian.
This unique
situation must be taken into consideration when plans are made to
change this university.
The Holmes Center
is definitely a huge step in the right direction as far as Appalachian
State becoming rival to its instate peers such as Chapel Hill, N.C.
State or UNC-Charlotte, and will be a historical achievement that
both Appalacian and Boone can enjoy.
Still, it's
another source of construction on a very compact campus. The future
of Appalachian is further filled with construction. For example,
the Food Court will be eventually torn down and another will be
built. Also, a parking garage is in the works.
I know both
of these will bring the university advantages. The parking garage,
along with the Hardin Street expansion, will hopefully put a grip
on our traffic epidemic.
I just can't
imagine walking through the university with the glory of Schwag
Court buried under a pile of rubble or the absence of frisbees whirling
across Sanford Mall.
Some call it
progress, but I don't enjoy spending my time on campus walking around
cones or through dust.
Appalachian
State is my home for the next couple of years and I am fully satisfied
with it the way it is.
Students don't
come here for our bookstore or the Holmes Center. They come here
for this awesome environment and we should preserve this. Chris
Boyce is a Varsity Sports beat writer. He can be reached at: theapp@appstate.edu.
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