The week after Homecoming is always a bit of a fever dream, but this year students were hit with a splash of cold water to start the week. The President’s Chief of Staff Jim Amidon ’87 sent an email informing campus that the Mall would be closed off in order to install piping to connect the new cooling plant to the academic buildings, as well as to the yet-to-be-built Community Center. The closure will run through the winter.
“Utility crews will begin boring underground as part of the cooling plant construction during the week of October 5,” said Amidon in his email. “This work will continue through the fall and winter. To make this happen, fencing will soon go up on the eastern side of the Mall, running from north to south. We will not be able to walk directly across the Mall, east to west.”
This came as a shock to many students as no public communication had been made regarding this particular project. It came as even more of a shock that fences were erected across the Mall not even 24 hours after Amidon’s email, making it impossible to cross the Mall without using the walkways by Pioneer Chapel or Detchon Hall.
This has spurred frustration in much of the student body as the long list of construction projects on campus grows. Students are understanding of the fact that these projects are necessary for the long-term health of the College, but feel as though that understanding has not been reciprocated through the lack of communication the College has given. As a result of the closure, different student organizations are scrambling to relocate events originally planned to be held on the Mall.
“The student body has had two major reactions to the fence going up on the mall,” said Student Body President Jackson Ray ’28. “First is surprise. The general student body and even a majority of student leaders were given twelve hours notice before a core part of our campus was split. Currently the Senate and other groups are scrambling to relocate or cancel all events planned for the Mall. It’s the centerpiece of our campus and it is devastating to be fenced off with little notice. The second reaction is understanding that construction has to happen. However, with what feels like a third of campus behind a chain link fence right now, how will this impact the lasting memory of Wabash for current students?”
The College administration has responded by saying that they understand the frustration of the student body. The construction process has a lot of moving pieces that sometimes come as short notice even to admin.
“Over the past couple of years we have communicated news of closures and disruptions as we have received them,” said President of the College Scott Feller. “I am sure that everyone would like a precise schedule well in advance — I know that I would — but that is a luxury we don’t have as we work to make the campus improvements that we sorely need.”
In spite of claiming that they inform students of closures and disruptions when they receive them, select students have reported knowing about the closure since the start of the semester from private conversations with different members of staff. Though not every detail of the closure was known to those students, they had foreknowledge most students did not, and indeed would not have until less than a day before the closure.
The effect this will have on campus goes beyond events that will have to be moved. The Mall is an integral part of the Wabash community and student culture.
“The first thing I felt was shock,” said Abbas Hakim ’29. “The fences were up less than 24 hours after the email. I have to walk all the way around the Mall, which is the most beautiful place on campus. You get to see everyone and it’s where people really connect and speak to each other.”
The disappointment of the Mall being closed for an extended period of time is palpable, but students understand the greater vision for the College that’s at play. Students just wish the plan for that vision were better communicated to students.
“While I understand that construction projects must happen a certain way, I am disappointed to see the lack of a notice from the administration,” said Connor Phillips ’28.
Despite the onslaught of projects current students face preventing them from seeing campus in its full beauty while they’re here, the excitement of the finished product still shines through for many.
“My immediate reaction [to seeing the fences] was they were definitely odd, but at the same time these pipes are going to be big for campus,” said Logan Miltner ’29. “I like to see our campus is working to become more beautiful and we’re taking bigger steps to get where we want to be.”