Yes, it’s true: the end really is near.

But not in the usual post-apocalyptic, Ben Affleck in Armageddon sense.

After months of loud jackhammers, incessant pounding, and class interruptions — by the end of spring — the second floor of the Academic Building will finally be finished.

No longer will students sit in class wondering if the ceiling will come crashing down upon them, nor will professors be forced to make multiple stops in their lectures just to ensure they will be heard above the noise.

Rest assured, the delays and inconveniences will be more than worth the hassle. Geometrically decadent carpet lines the hallways of the renovated second floor, while rich, environmentally friendly, earth tones cascade down the walls.

Interim Provost Dr. Don Chaffee is excited about the progress being made upstairs and reports construction is moving ahead of schedule. Chaffee was more than eager to share information about what exactly this new addition will be like.

“The management school and education school will be up there,” said Chaffee. If a student is lucky enough to have class on the second floor, they will enjoy “comfortable seminar rooms and comfortable seating.”

One interesting aspect of the second floor will be located above the first floor lobby.

“At the intersection….will be a place where people can gather,” said Chaffee. “There will be furniture, tables, vending machines, etc…a place where students can gather, chat and eat.”

Also included in the mix of this trendy upgrade is a copy machine. Chaffee said it would be placed “in response to student concerns after the moving of the library.”

As many students know, the second floor of AB used to be home to the library. Since its move across campus, many students have felt the pitfalls of having to walk to the new library in order to make a copy or use a computer when the labs on the third floor of AB are full. Therefore, along with the copy machines, there will be a number of computer terminals to meet student needs.

As reported in The Saint earlier this year, the construction has, at times, resulted in damage to the third floor. In mid-November, English professor Dr. Daniel Brooks was in his office talking to Adrian Proctor of Housekeeping when a drill bit bore through the floor near their feet; and a walk down the third floor hallway discovered loose tiles and further evidence of errant drilling. Just a few weeks ago, students in Dr. Penny Avery’s Understanding Mass Media course in room 102 reported witnessing a watery, blackish green slime trickling from the ceiling.

Despite such complaints, Chaffee said the construction nonetheless “went smoothly and ahead of schedule,” and he is looking forward to the finished product.

In terms of the second floor construction, then, the end is really just the beginning.