Students complain about the ongoing construction and its side effects on a daily basis. Without thinking about the benefits of the construction, students rant out lists of how noisy, dirty and smelly it is. Admittedly, the construction can be all of the aforementioned at times, but before mindlessly whining about how “annoying” and behind schedule it is, students need to reexamine the situation.

It turns out that the construction is actually on schedule, and the renovations going on now are part of a decades-long plan to dramatically change the way Gunn looks for the better. The small annoyances that students feel in the process of construction are worth the temporary pain because in the long run, the planned construction will improve the school’s physical appearance and internal efficiency.

The major complaint about the current construction is how drawn out it is and how long it is taking, but what students need to realize is that the construction going on now is not a one-time deal that happens to be flowing into overtime. Plans for construction started in 1995, long before any of the current students were in high school, or even middle school. Several bond measures were passed by the district to allocate much-needed money to the aging campus, and to renovate the campus in the course of many years. Changes have already been made to the library and the Math-Science wings, which were all completely rebuilt. The renovation of the Bat Cave, staff lounge, cafeteria and kitchen areas were the areas planned for reconstruction this school year, and they are all part of the grand scheme; the school did not randomly decide to disturb the 2007-2008 school year with construction.

Secondly, according to Assistant Principal and Facilities Director Tom Jacoubowsky, who oversees construction at Gunn, the construction is on schedule; the Bat Cave’s roof will be assembled over spring break and the bistro will be finished in late April and open in May. The kitchen was scheduled for completion in summer of 2007, and indeed it was finished in summer of 2007. The bottom line is, students need to stop grumbling—especially about things that are not even true. The “I can’t believe they are still working on that thing” argument against the construction is neither fact-based nor reason-based. Students should not make up statements to express their annoyances. A little research into the matter would have revealed just how wrong their assumptions were.

More importantly, the construction is a much-needed blessing to the campus. It is one thing to complain about something that does not benefit oneself, but it is quite another to complain about something that is truly beneficial. Students never cease their complaints—if they are not talking about the construction, then they are complaining about how ugly the campus looks. Here is an example of the contradiction: one protests the construction that is designed to better the school’s appearance, and another questions why the school looks so unattractive. This is unfair to the administration. The student body cannot expect to have its cake and eat it too. Most students do not realize that the construction was secured to improve the school’s appearance, and that with some patience and time, the campus will be enhanced.

In the future, the campus’ appearance will live up to its name’s standard. Plans extending four or five years into the future include a new pool, additional pool locker rooms, new fields, a second gym and even a two-story Student Activities Center and other two-level buildings, if necessary. Gunn’s soon-to-be campus will be appreciated by so many in the years to come: Construction that will benefit so many in the future should not receive the number of criticisms it is receiving today. Students may have to sit through some hammering and walk around some buildings, but are those things so bad compared to having an old campus without construction? Even though current students may never get to attend a nicely-redone Gunn, they should stop complaining and start embracing the better campus and school ahead.

—Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the staff. (assenting: 29; dissenting: 6)