2008 Woodie Awards
Construction affecting learning
Brian Heinemann
Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: Opinion
Along with the ongoing construction project of the Kirkwood Academic Building comes an academic disturbance-noise and a whole lot of it. The new building will benefit Kirkwood Community College in the long-term but is currently proving to be an inconvenience to students and teachers in the nearby buildings.
In areas of both Cedar and Benton halls, the constant noise associated with a major construction project can fill the hallways and classrooms. While it may be merely background noise to some, it can be challenging to ignore the seemingly nonstop racket. In classrooms near the windows directly overlooking the location, such as room 322 Benton Hall, the work makes it seem as though a cell phone is consistently vibrating throughout the entire class session.
While classes are obviously going on as scheduled, this is far from a conducive environment for learning. Not all college students can concentrate fully in classes under normal circumstances, let alone when an entire class period is accompanied by a high-pitched ringing or subsequent sounds created by the moving of earth and steel.
It may be a necessary evil that we all must endure in order to improve our campus but it does not change the fact that it can still be an incredible hassle to deal with over the course of a long school day. Although this phase of the construction is moving at an incredible clip and is due to be finished by the end of this year, it is something that we need to get used to, since construction on both Jones and Linn halls will be starting this summer.
In areas of both Cedar and Benton halls, the constant noise associated with a major construction project can fill the hallways and classrooms. While it may be merely background noise to some, it can be challenging to ignore the seemingly nonstop racket. In classrooms near the windows directly overlooking the location, such as room 322 Benton Hall, the work makes it seem as though a cell phone is consistently vibrating throughout the entire class session.
While classes are obviously going on as scheduled, this is far from a conducive environment for learning. Not all college students can concentrate fully in classes under normal circumstances, let alone when an entire class period is accompanied by a high-pitched ringing or subsequent sounds created by the moving of earth and steel.
It may be a necessary evil that we all must endure in order to improve our campus but it does not change the fact that it can still be an incredible hassle to deal with over the course of a long school day. Although this phase of the construction is moving at an incredible clip and is due to be finished by the end of this year, it is something that we need to get used to, since construction on both Jones and Linn halls will be starting this summer.
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