Undergraduates return to a new, improved campus

By now, the cacophony created by summer's cranes and drills have all but faded, replaced by the grunts and moans emblematic of fall move-in. But while one period of construction may have been replaced by another, the work on Harvard's physical campus over the last few months was more than just seasonal.

On the whole, the University building projects--part of an ambitious $2.1 billion capital campaign--are a welcome sight.

The much-touted Maxwell-Dworkin lab, named after the mothers of donors William H. Gates III, Class of 1977 and Steven A. Ballmer '77, is almost complete and will house faculty members in the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Not only is the building architecturally tasteful--combining polished wood-panels with sleek ergonomic workstations--but it couldn't have come at a better time.

Student enrollment for undergraduate computer science courses has surged over the past few years, necessitating the need for more physical space as well as a larger faculty. The high-tech lab will help Harvard keep in step with the ever-changing field of information technology as well as promote a conducive learning environment by allowing faculty, graduate students and undergraduates to conduct research under the same roof.

Last summer also saw the beginning of the $52 million, two-and-a-half year renovation of Widener's stacks. The mammoth project will not only prevent the further decay of books but add air conditioning and two new reading rooms. Although the project has inevitably caused disruptions to library users, we commend the conscious attempt to minimize these inconveniences.

Finally, the renovations to the basement of Holden Chapel should be completed within the next few weeks and will provide expanded rehearsal space for choral groups.

Indeed, with the exception of the ongoing Memorial Hall tower reconstruction--a beautiful, but otherwise purely ornamental addition to the College--these building projects both enhance our campus' physical aesthetics and improve student life directly and concretely.

However, the recent spending blitz also reminds us of other building concerns that have long remained neglected. First-year dormitories need better lighting. As every year passes the need for a true student center with space for group offices and meetings is ever more evident. And it certainly would be nice to see a 175-foot sky crane above our decrepit excuse for an athletic center.

For the most part, these additions represent positive changes for undergraduates. They are massive projects fitting such a massive fundraising effort.