It’s one of those days when you have no morning classes and lunch is the only excuse to wake up. You grab a bite and polish off the last few words of the paper that’s due in a few hours. You leave your dorm to hand it in just in time, but on the way you run into construction.

Not only are you rushed, but your pants, shoes, and socks are soaking wet. Down by the intersection of Sheridan Road and Chicago Avenue you may have noticed the presence of heavy machinery and the lack of a sidewalk.

I could deal with the awkward walk around the construction. I could deal with the slippery metal plates covering the gaping holes in the cement. I could even deal with the noise. But today nature pushed me over the edge.

It rained. All the dirt, snow and mess that had been this construction project culminated into a horrible catastrophe. I tried to jump over the foot-long and inches-deep puddles to cross the street and I didn’t make it. The puddle covered my shoes, soaked my feet, and wicked about six inches up my jeans.

I had class for the next five hours.

Why now? To me, at least, it would only make sense to break up a sidewalk in the spring or the fall. Then no construction workers have to stand out in the cold to do their jobs. The residents of South Campus wouldn’t have to jump through snow and that scary dark street-water to get to class.

At least now I have an excuse to try out some new detergent on my jeans.

– Trevor Seela

Designer