BengalNews Reporters
Students at Buffalo State College have been, and continue to be, subjected to intermittent losses of power and water outages that have made everyday tasks like showering and studying a major dilemma. But as many students agree the biggest disruption to campus life is the continuous noise that interrupts students from their sleep and study.
Buffalo State is in the midst of a $350 million construction project that is expected to end in 2015. Over the next seven years the college will remodel its student quadrangle and performing arts centre, and build a new science and mathematics complex, student dormitory, technology building and an athletics stadium.
But at what cost for the students?
The campus remains home to diesel trucks and machinery, covered in dirt, dust and debris, and lined with high metal fences that surround construction zones and restrict the flow of students.“I know that the routes between buildings are different and that the fences are up and it’s not such a proud place to bring your parents when there’s so much construction going on,” said Lisa Krieger, Buffalo State’s assistant vice president of finance and management.
From 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. students are disrupted by the bellow of pile drivers plunging metal frames deep into the ground, creating the foundation for the framework that will be the new dormitories.
“The pile driving for student housing is now complete. That ended on Monday, but unfortunately pile driving will begin again around March 1 for the science building which is located even closer to the student dormitories, and that too will start at 7 a.m.,” said Krieger.
Buffalo State’s Vice President of Finance and Management Stanley Kardonsky recognizes the negative effect of the construction on students but insists that it is ultimately in the best interests of the college and future students.
“The campus is going to be a mess for a few years but just be patient because the campus that’s going to exist in four or five years from now will be much prettier, more accessible, and more exciting,” said Kardonsky.
Many students can’t help but feel less optimistic.
“I understand they want to beautify the campus but it is a major inconvenience with all the noise,” said Tiffany Ali, a 20-year-old Media Production student.
Many of these projects are within 15 feet of existing dormitories that hold a large percentage of the resident student population. It is these students like Ali that believe they are the most badly affected.
“It’s very hard to deal with it, to try to sleep through that is impossible sometimes. It’s extremely hard when I am not even sleeping yet and the noise starts. I find myself sleeping with ear plugs and it still doesn’t help,” said Ali.
Buffalo State’s Finance and Management Office, the key player in the planning of the construction projects, has received many student complaints of this nature and is trying to help students overcome the problems they are encountering.
“We know people get annoyed, we can’t stop that, but we are doing our best to mitigate that,” said Kardonsky.
“We created a publication for students who are looking for some peace and quiet on campus which list about 10 suggestions of where they can go to get away from the noise and dust and it had a picture of a person in a lotus position trying to meditate among all the chaos of the construction,” said Krieger.
But do Ali and her fellow students agree?
“I feel as though for us to have power outages and water main breaks and be unable to take showers or use the bathroom is a big inconvenience especially because we pay such a large sum of money as far as tuition and room and board,” said Ali.
Buffalo State officials are looking forward to what the campus will have to offer students when the construction is completed and is happy with how well the students have handled the ongoing construction.
“Thank you for your continued resiliency. I’ve said it a lot and I mean it. I think it’s a rare community that we have at Buffalo State. It’s a diverse exciting group… a real slice of life. They’re resilient, they’re understanding, they’re forward thinking and dynamic and I think they see the bigger picture,” said Krieger.
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