Have you ever felt that Alumni Hall was too small? Not extremely but just enough to be noticeable? If you had to put a measurement to it, would that measurement be three feet? If so, you would be entirely correct.
When the building was initially designed, it was actually one yard larger. It was only during construction that this extra space got lost.
The exact cause is unknown, though some suspected causes include embezzlement, fear of ancient burial grounds, and the ghost of Midland past. One particularly outlandish theory suggests that the building was constructed as planned, but a sudden sinkhole swallowed up exactly three feet of the original building, leaving the two remaining halves seamlessly connected.
Now, long after the building’s initial construction, a proposal has been made to correct this decades old mistake.
The plan will cost a total of half a million dollars, which comes largely from recent cuts to the transportation budget but is supplemented by additional funds from selling advertising space on the bottom of student seats.
Even though the bulk of the construction will take place over the summer season while school is out, it is likely that some of the final steps of construction will need to be completed as students are taking their first classes of the year.
Students who take their classes in the northernmost part of the building should be advised that they may need to temporarily relocate during the fall semester.
The current plan in place is to move classes within the building outside for that time, using the space behind the building as temporary classrooms.
All equipment necessary will be moved outside when the school year begins, and will remain outside until the classrooms are once again ready for use.
To prepare for unfortunate weather conditions, students will be provided with an umbrella. Additionally, students are warned that it is possible that construction will last through the start of winter and to dress accordingly.
Once students relocate back inside the building, they are advised that the sudden additional space may be jarring. For example, a walk which previously took five minutes may now take five minutes and seven seconds or up to eight years.
Some walls, corners, floors, or ceilings may not be in the correct location or orientation at first since it is expected to take them time to acclimate to their new environment. Students and faculty alike are advised to be patient as the building settles.
