Glass in the heart of campus

Construction strikes yet again, this time with a facelift to the Bryan Center as a new project will replace the main entrance near the plaza with a glass facade. Set to begin in March, the renovations will expand the major thoroughfare to improve the flow of foot traffic and increase natural light in the Bryan Center. While the end product may improve the external aesthetics of the 1982 riot-proof building, the disruption to students from yet another campus closure deserves some thought.

With caution tape barricades and “hard hats required” signs seemingly ubiquitous across campus these days, we take a moment to reflect on the state of construction. The major renovations are already underway in Rubenstein and West Union, decreasing student study space in Perkins Library and removing a centralized, communal dining space. With Page Auditorium and the Chapel projects slated to begin soon, it seems as though the heart of West Campus is being shut down.

In an article in The Chronicle, Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta was quoted saying that the newest renovation project in the BC “shouldn’t be much inconvenience” for students. Certainly, the rise of the neo-Gothic glass-and-steel style reflects Duke’s modernizing progress. But the cost of construction is taking an increasingly noticeable toll on student life and the student experience. Take, for example, the closing of the arches to the BC Plaza. Before there was a gaping hole behind the makeshift wall leading from main quad to the BC, there was the Plaza brimming with student groups advertising events and lively music on lazy Friday afternoons. There were students enjoying meals outdoors and waving emphatically to the steady stream of friends passing by. While the plaza is still populated, it is no longer the lively central hub that so encapsulated Duke’s unique blend of academic and social life. Construction, if not inconvenient, is disruptive to the Duke student experience.

We recognize that such construction projects will in the long term reap benefits for all Blue Devils, past and current. New facilities will bolster Duke’s success, which in turn will boost the “value” of a Duke degree. However, for students living in the reality and disruptions of construction, the administration should improve its transparency and communication. Information about renovation updates is available online, but access to such reports are circuitous and inconvenient for students forced to confront the construction every day. An email with announcements about upcoming construction projects—like the BC entrance closure—or updates about renovations on West Union and other projects would help students. Ultimately, construction is underway, but acknowledgement of the effects it has on the experience of students currently living on campus would help Duke feel more like home once more.