“Why do they have to start drilling during my class?”

This is what you might hear one of your professors say if you have classes in the Farrison-Newton Communications Building.

The building is one of many being renovated.

Unlike Eagleson and Rush residence halls or other buildings being renovated, the communications building has been occupied during its renovations.

“We have to bring the bathrooms up to handicap accessible code and minor changes need to be made to the building,” said Lacy Summers, N.C. Central University capital projects manager.

The $1.9 million project began the first week of August and scheduled completion in early January.

In the meantime, students, faculty and staff have to deal with the renovation noise.

“It makes the classroom feel like a dental office,” said Tom Evans, associate professor of English and mass communications. “It’s like trying to write an essay while getting your teeth pulled.”

Some students say the construction makes it difficult to concentrate.

“When we are taking tests, the whole class is silent and all you hear is drilling,” said freshman poilitical science major Adanna Omeni.

Despite the distraction, good things are in store.

“We are putting a new roof on the building, upgrading the radio and television studios and AudioNet, as well as the Campus Echo office,” said Summers.

“We are also reconfiguring both the men’s and women’s bathrooms on the first and second floors so that they can be handicap accessible.”

Some professors are anxiously awaiting the project’s completion.

“I’m looking forward to having a studio resource center on campus,” said Brett Chambers, a mass communications instructor.

“We just have to work around the construction and adapt to it in the meantime.”

Summers says that they are doing their best to minimize distractions.

“If professors or department chairs give us an idea of their critical teaching times, then we will try to work around them,” said Summers.

According to Summers, most of the construction does not involve a lot of demolition, but when it does, it is only for a short time.

“We hope that everyone understands what we are trying to do and bears with us,” said Summers.

“Our goal is to eliminate any issues.”