University construction workers have made another giant hole in the ground as construction recently began on the new Student Center north entrance.

Tom Euclide, director of Architecture and Engineering, said that the new entrance will allow students to enter and exit the building from the second floor.

“This way students don’t have to walk all the way around the building to the plaza to get in,” he said.

Architect Beth Ruffing, who is working on the project, said in an e-mail the entrance will be built in a new corridor between the Kent Market II dining facility and the Music Listening Room.

“The university has recognized for many years that students have not had a convenient entry, and in fact, had to walk clear around the building in order to get inside,” she said. “This project is intended to make the Student Center more accessible to students coming from the north.”

Ruffing said the truck dock will also be reworked for safety and also to provide easier access to truck drivers.

“While some separation from the truck dock was needed for safety, better efficiency was also needed at the dock areas,” she said.

Ruffing said that deliveries to the Student Center have gradually increased, creating a traffic problem for trucks entering the dock.

Jackie Parsons, executive director of the Student Center and Dining Services, said most students seem to be looking forward to the new entrance.

“All the comments that we’ve had so far have been very positive,” she said.

“I think it’s a good idea,” said Sarah Bowen, freshman international relations major and resident of Allyn Hall. “I love the Student Center, and I go there all the time.”

Parsons also said the construction process should not create much hassle for students because there is no student traffic in the area.

Ruffing said she hopes the design will make life easier for students and staff and keep things “flowing smoothly” at the Student Center.

Contact buildings and grounds reporter William Schertz at [email protected].