Excited for the new school year? Reuniting with your friends, meeting new ones. Whether you’re a freshman, senior, or a transfer, there’s many things students are looking forward to in this new year. But there’s always one thing that is always around when coming back to campus and that’s construction.
Ongoing construction projects on campus are significantly impacting students’ commutes and daily routines, creating challenges as they adjust to the changes.
Cortland tries its best to make campus look amazing and they do a great job with it, but people always question, why is it always during the school year? Is it all year round that they do construction? Why can’t they do it during the summer when students aren’t on campus? These questions are always brought up when talking about the construction around Cortland.
The students who live in the dorms on campus this semester don’t have it as bad as the students who live off campus. The construction that’s happening on Groton avenue and Main street is getting a lot of students frustrated due to the uneven gravel roads and streets being closed down. Walkways have been rerouted, and parts of off campus have been closed off, leading to longer commutes between classes.
Walking through Groton to get to and from class is a dusty, muddy mess. With roads being shut down, you’re going to have to reroute your drive to class. Planning your route in advance can save time and stress. There are countless ways to get to campus, while avoiding Groton avenue.
A senior, Dylan Wenner who lives off campus on Lincoln avenue says the construction on Groton is affecting him in various ways but they aren’t major problems.
“I don’t like driving my car on Groton, it’s like a war zone, I’m afraid it’ll ruin my car by the end of the semester ” said Dylan. “So I go around it trying to avoid those roads and it’s just wasting gas. The other day I had to pick up my friend who lived on Groton because they wouldn’t let him leave his house with his car.”
There’s no need for an alarm clock when you live next to the construction. Bright and early students would wake up to the jackhammering and trucks that would drive back and forth. The constant loud noises in the morning will no doubt wake you up and keep you up.
“I lived on West Court Street last year and multiple times during both semesters I woke up to constant hammering and beeping”, said Leana Foley. “I have a cat and the loud noises caused him to freak out and destroy my room.”
“I don’t live too close to the construction now”, said Leana, “but my cat has trauma from the construction and now anytime he hears anything that sounds like it, he hides in small spaces around the house.”
Despite all of the obstacles, students should be optimistic about the long term benefits. Students are hopeful that all the noise and dust will soon create a path to make their college experience better.