As sure as summer wanes and classes begin at GW, another University ritual is in full force – construction. To traverse the Foggy Bottom campus without noticing the metamorphosis underway would be nearly impossible.

Most visible are projects in the Mid-Campus Quad, renovations at the Hall on Virginia Avenue, and initial excavating at the future sights for the Health and Wellness Center and the School of Media and Public Affairs. These improvements, while often a nuisance, are a move in the right direction. Future benefits of the current construction include modernized facilities, more room for growth and an increased sense of community.

GW is making good on its promise too beautify the campus. Perhaps the most striking change is the Mid-Campus Quad, now named Kogan Plaza. The Plaza is scheduled to be completed by the end of September with a fountain as its centerpiece. Work at HOVA will need time, as well as the Health and Wellness Center and the SMPA building. These facilities promise to be state-of-the-art additions to the Foggy Bottom campus.

The fourth floor of the Marvin Center is an example of genuine improvement. With its new design, office space is being utilized much better. And that is the crux of GW’s problem – lack of space. Therefore, continual transformation is a necessity to make enough space for a burgeoning population of students, faculty and staff.

By some accounts, this has been GW’s busiest summer of building in recent memory. Construction will undoubtedly be a pain for anyone in the GW community during the next several years, but progress is being made. Though many in the student body will never witness the completion of this newest spate of construction, the University is making a change for the better.