Progress: Destination or Journey?

Earlier this week, Learner received an email from the seminary pertaining to the upcoming building project in the center of the small campus. It read:

"A construction trailer will arrive on campus this week, and then, in about 16 months, we hope to have a new 43,000-square-foot academic and administration building. The building will provide more classrooms with greater flexibility, unite our faculty and administrators under one roof, create a dedicated homiletics classroom, as well as a single center for students to interact with Financial Aid, the Business Office, the Registrar, Academic Planning, and Student Services.

Before we can enjoy the new building, however, we will all encounter some changes and potential inconveniences. Here are some of the changes to watch for:

- The official start date for construction is April 16, 2007.

- The main construction trailer will be staged on site either this Friday, March 9, or early next week. It will be located in the grassy area just north of the Archaeology building.

- Temporary fencing will be placed around the construction site for the safety of our children (and curious adults!). As of now, we expect that the fencing will go up after the first of April, but that could change.

- The current bus stop will also be moved for the safety of the children.

- There will be significant changes in traffic flow and parking. Much more information about this will follow.

Staff will see and hear about the traffic flow and parking changes at the All-Staff Meeting on March 26. Campus residents and commuting students will receive information about new traffic patterns, parking changes, the bus stop move, and much more when they return from Spring Break."

As is typical for him in most things, Learner is all for progress - as a destination rather than a journey. The good news is the same as the bad news: if all goes according to schedule (his as well as the seminary's), he should graduate roughly around the same time as the building is complete. Thus, he'll get to experience all the hassles of the building project (listed above), and none of the benefits. And, if you remember, he doesn't particularly do well with campus chaos.

All this, of course, is only if he gets through another 16 months...which means getting through Hebrew (and other classes involving biblical languages). Still, it's only 16 months, and today is the first he's really thought about that.

"Hard to believe," he says. Indeed it is.