As a student at Wichita State, I have come to expect frequent construction around campus, but the new Hub for Advanced Manufacturing Research (HAMR) building for the National Institute for Aviation Research has brought fresh frustrations. 

Located behind Woolsey Hall and The Suites, the HAMR occupies prime land that could have benefited all students directly.

Campus construction has become a near-constant presence, with fences lining the miniature Suites parking lot and loud noises echoing around campus. I can hear the loud crash of something dropping or breaking all the way from Braeburn Square.

The timing, as usual, is also inconsiderate. As finals approach, students must endure the clangs and bangs of heavy equipment — not exactly an ideal environment for studying.

For months, students like me thought the bones of the building were the beginning of a new parking garage. It would have been a long-overdue resource that could have eased the ever-growing parking pressures. I even hoped that WSU might roll out a new fee structure to support the potential garage or a semesterly subscription charged to students on top of the parking pass.

While that may not be ideal, it seemed like the typical WSU move. Imagine my disappointment when I realized it wasn’t a parking garage. It wasn’t even a tool or service for students to use on their day-to-day. It is not a solution at all, but another National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) project.

It’s not that the Hub for Advanced Manufacturing Research building lacks merit. According to WSU, this $62 million project — supported by a $26 million federal grant from the 2021 Build Back Better Regional Challenge — will enhance NIAR’s capacity to research advanced manufacturing processes and potentially assist small businesses, which could even mean more learning opportunities for students.

I don’t think we really needed another NIAR facility right next to The Suites or, honestly, planted on campus at all. 

There are plenty of destinations in the 10-year master plan that could have suited this niche building better. For instance the large block of space behind Braeburn Square, behind a large pond. 

WSU should have the priorities of the area set to the students and their interests. Maybe instead of a building that only serves a niche population of Wichita State, we can have some sort of grocery market or another building that can aid the entire campus.

Given that students are the reason for the university’s functions and existence, as opposed to partnerships and other entities, the campus should focus on its students.