Okay. So Western gets much respect for following through on its promise to have journalism students and Information Technology in fresh digs this semester. Good job. The building looks really nice – kind of.

But the whole fact that the thing is not exactly done isn’t cool. Just because you have a few lemons and some sugar lying around, you don’t go and make lemonade. And just because you have a permit to occupy a building doesn’t mean you have to open it for classes.

We realize there were issues beyond your control that have contributed to the delays. Things like bankruptcy of contractors, adverse working conditions, etc. tend to happen. We understand that completely.

But when students walk in the building for the first day of classes dodging walls with wet paint and avoiding dangling wires to walk into rooms without computers hooked up, a question arises: Why are students even there? If it wasn’t done, fine. Postpone the move until next semester. Western journalism professors and students and staff in Information Technology waited this long for it. What’s another semester?

Not to mention the majority of classes at Mass Media and Technology Hall are being forced to chill anyway since they need a finished building and its components to conduct class. Four or so weeks isn’t that long, but that’s a quarter of a semester. Ask your professors, four weeks is an eternity to just be enjoying atmosphere.

What’s done is done. Can’t go back and make this one right. But you can learn from it when it’s time to think about opening the Science and Engineering building. We applaud the effort and sweat it takes to build a more beautiful and 21st century Western. But you can’t rush the future. So don’t start by rushing people into this building.

This editorial represents the majority opinion of the Herald’s 10-member board of student editors.