Students at the University of Denver believe that construction on campus is unpleasant, irritating and intrusive, but also realize that the end results will be beneficial and worthwhile for both the current and future university community.

DU has invested more than $350 million to update the campus facilities and bring all schools onto one unified campus. The overall plan includes seven new buildings. Currently, two new buildings are under construction.

The Chambers Center for the Advancement of Women is being built on the corner of Asbury and High and a new building for University Technology Services at Evans and High

“With the nice facilities that this school now has and the increased number of applicants, I would have never been accepted if I applied today,” said junior Katie Sidell when asked how the school has changed since her freshman year.

Others say they feel that DU has become a more appealing campus during their years here.

“It can get really annoying because we have to compensate for the construction by leaving earlier for our classes because it takes longer with all the traffic,” said Sidell. “We have to make things better regardless of the fact that it takes forever. In the long run it is better. We needed it.”

Other students take a more critical perspective.

Senior Justin Williams, lived in Beta Theta Pi last year, where his window faced the construction of the new law school.

“Every morning I would get woken up at 7 a.m. because of the loud drilling. It was obnoxious and difficult to fall back asleep,” he said.

He and others who lived in the fraternity houses on Old Row felt the same way.

“When something disrupts your life like that for so long, it is difficult to forget it and look immediately to the positives,”

In the end, however, Williams says he feels that regardless of all the noise it was worth it in the long run.

“Our campus looks better and is probably more attractive for prospective students,” he said.

Last fall, the long-awaited law school building opened. It is located on East Evans Avenue, right in back of Old Row.

The construction of this $63.5 million building affected many sleeping schedules, and according to some, gave the campus a much “messier” physical appearance.

Overall, however, most students understood the need and desires for a unified campus with new state of the art facilities.

“It is playing a role on my decision of where to live next year,” said junior Lindsey Black, who lives in the Skyline Apartments. For her, it is not the building construction that has been an inconvenience, but the work being done on the sidewalks around campus.

“Construction workers are always outside my window,” said Black. “I have to be careful inside my own apartment. It’s an invasion of privacy.”