Building projects shake classes in Blegen

Professor Enid Logan and her class sat in silence last Thursday as tremors rumbled through the ceiling and walls of their Blegen Hall classroom.

Logan, an associate sociology professor, is one of many University of Minnesota professors and students who said Central Corridor light-rail construction on the West Bank has disrupted classes and been a nuisance in Blegen.

“It sounds like Godzilla is walking on top of us,” said Logan, who teaches a course in the basement of Blegen on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

So far, the University hasn’t been notified of problems in Blegen.

“We haven’t heard anything but we’d like to be notified so we could fix any problems,” said Brad Hoff, chief administrative officer for Facilities Management.

Hoff said there aren’t any University construction projects in progress near Blegen.

Central Corridor spokeswoman Laura Baenen  said the West Bank station is being built, but that she didn’t think the construction would cause noise problems nearby.

“We haven’t received any complaints,” Baenen said. “We aren’t doing any removal [of pavement], so I’m not sure what would cause the noise.”

Blegen Hall is located on Washington Avenue about 100 yards from the future location of a light-rail station.

One of Logan’s students, Laura Ricke, said the noise “sounds like the walls are going to break.”

Students in other parts of the building have noticed the construction as well.

Senior David Wollschlager said the noise has disrupted his Tuesday philosophy class on Blegen’s ground floor.

“My TA hates it. Some days it gets to the point where he wants to cancel class altogether.”

So far, classes haven’t been cancelled because of the noise, but it still poses a problem, Wollschlager said.

“It’s very disruptive. It’s infrequent but when it’s there, it’s impossible to learn.”

Students in other parts of the building said they haven’t been affected.

“Every so often it starts for about a half a second, but it doesn’t distract me,” said James Beuche, a sophomore who has an American studies class in the basement at 11 a.m.

Kevin Anderson, who works in the Office of Information Technology in the basement of Blegen, said he hasn’t heard any noise.

“I haven’t noticed anything, but I’m in a different part of the building,” he said.

Other professors agreed with Logan’s complaints.

“It’s just not appropriate. Students are paying a big amount of money to come here and have a classroom setting like that,” said Gabriel Weisberg, who teaches an art history course in the basement of Blegen.

Weisberg said the noise hasn’t been a problem for more than a week, but Logan said the noise in her classroom began in late October and is ongoing. Logan’s teaching assistant Alex Manning agreed.

Manning said he thought it started a few weeks ago.

“It’s like you’re in a bomb shelter,” he said. “The ceiling and walls shake. Like somebody is using a jackhammer right above you.”