<p>On one of the parents' board threads, someone indicated that there is some major construction going on at Williams, and that there is no student center until it is finished, at which time a construction project begins on the library. For those of you who have visited, is this a problem on campus? Does it hurt the aesthetics of the campus or affect daily life? Thanks.</p>
<p>Here's some pics:</p>
<p>The bad news was that they found lots of leaking oil underneath the building, which requires additional excavation, setting the project back 6 months (and a couple of million), and thus setting back the library plan accordingly.</p>
<p>Can't answer daily life - obviously. The upperclass folks, who were there when there was a student center should be able to answer.</p>
<p>The Record carried lots of articles about impacts, but it is currently offline.</p>
<p>when i visited over the summer, the future site was a big dirt pit; like mini, i can't really comment on the impact of not having a student center. however, i think that once they're done with the construction, it'll be nice to have a brand-new student center. it couldn't possibly be something bad in the end.</p>
<p>I think it's fair to say that having Baxter Snack Bar torn down and a construction fence around the entire Baxter lawn probably detracts from the pleasantness of day-to-day campus life.</p>
<p>That area has always been the "crossroads" of the campus.</p>
<p>But, what are ya gonna do? A couple years of disruption is inevitable when you rebuild in the center of campus. Happens to just about every campus sooner or later -- at least the ones fortunate enough to have huge endowments enabling them to build new buildings. </p>
<p>Students now are sacrificing to make the college more pleasant for future generations. Or, to put it in Kenndyesque rhetoric: "Ask not what your college can do for you, but what... "</p>
<p>Momof, My son who is a sophomore says the construction is a minor irritation. There are many other alternatives for students to hang out with each other, including several options in dining halls which is unusual for a college of its size.</p>
<p>I think the loss of the old student center affects the older students more because they were there when it was operative. Same goes for the new performing arts theater; because it's been under construction the whole time my son has been on campus, it's not affected him one way or another, but the new theater will be a major positive. The library project is a way-future event.</p>
<p>I visited Williams both before and after construction began and can't say that I noticed a significant difference. Just about every college we went to had some kind of construction or renovation going on. The kids adjust.</p>
<p>Williams is a compact campus but it has an open and airy feeling with a lot of roaming space. The natural beauty of the surrounding mountains and forests are the salient factors in the campus aesthetic. The architecture is mostly traditional (with a few clinkers). The new buildings are going to contribute a lot of sophistication to the mix.</p>
<p>I agree with what Momrath wrote. As a freshman, I'll be making due without the student center until midway through my junior year, but I don't have the old Baxter to compare it to, so I can't really say that I compare how inconvenienced I am. What I can say, and this is true of any campus is that there are more resources/ new buildings there than there were ten years ago, and there will be newer and better facilities at Williams ten years after I graduate. People adjust. </p>
<p>Also, after mid-April, the only major construction at Williams will be the student center.</p>
<p>Baxter wasn't much of a student center so I don't think the loss is great. The construction site is more of inconvenience.</p>
<p>I had Baxter last year, and while we miss it and like to complain about its absence, it hasn't changed our lives dramatically. Mailboxes are now scattered at the four remaining dining halls-- your mailbox is at the closest dining hall to your dorm. The Baxter dining hall was never it's greatest attraction, so we don't really miss that. The Grab-and-Go deli lunch stuff has moved to Goodrich, which is a better place for it anyway. </p>
<p>All the student offices that were once in Baxter have been relocated temporarily until they get their sweet new offices in the new student center. I don't think anyone is complaining about that one.</p>
<p>While it's certainly not ideal to have a construction site in the middle of campus, I think most people see it as a necessary evil, and worth it in the end.</p>
<p>When is the new student center supposed to be completed?</p>
<p>2007, I believe.</p>
<p>yep, calendar year 2007.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone. I'm looking forward to visiting with S and seeing campus for myself. Sounds like the construction is definitely not a deal-breaker. Colgate is working on major library construction.</p>
<p>The vast majority of colleges constantly undertake construction projects.</p>
<p>Yes, ditto what everyone has said about campus construction. Wesleyan will have its own big pit within a few weeks (also for a new Campus Center.) I do wonder about the loss of Baxter, howevr. It took a great deal of guts to decide to do away with Williams' best known campus landmark. It's distinctive curved window was one of the few pleasant memories I carried back from many a game at your school.</p>
<p>"best known campus landmark?" The art history department absolutely detested Baxter. Students were pretty neutral about it--we loved the old snack bar, but that was about all. Obviously it's nicer to have a student center than to not have a student center, but I really don't think it's been a big deal, or that it was a particularly gutsy decision. The snack bar has been moved, and while it's not as great as it was, it's still pretty decent (albeit no longer centrally located). There are actually two other student centers (Goodrich and the Log), which admittedly aren't the same as having one nice centralized center, but have diminished the impact of not having Baxter.</p>
<p>I'm actually at Williams right now on the Multicultural Preview. The construction is not all that bad. From these two days that I've been here the construction does not seem to cause any problems getting around or with noise.</p>
<p>When a construction project is supposed to end in 2007.. my bets are on 2009! :)</p>