It’s really hard to miss all of the commotion outside of Meadowdale Hall so far this quarter. If you haven’t yet noticed, construction has been taking place since September of this year. The building that is being made is the new SET building. SET standing for science, engineering, and technology, this soon-to-be 70,000 square foot building isn’t expected to be finished until Feb. 20, 2020. 

The hopes of the new SET building is for students to gain more access to information and better education in science, engineering, and technology. There is a very high demand for this area of study here in Snohomish County, so this building can be very impactful for those who wish to pursue this area. 

With an average of 10,754 students per quarter, the new SET building is predicted to help with relieving Edmonds Community College’s overcrowding problem by providing students with more space to get their education. This building will be three stories tall and have a total of 11 classrooms and nine laboratories for students in physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, and nursing. 

Governor Jay Inslee penciled a $37.8 million budget for EdCC’s new building addition. This new building is the top construction priority for the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges of 2017.

Since construction has begun, more students are starting to notice what’s being made. Students like Rachel Christensen noticed the construction when in class, and describe that the noise is not very pleasant. 

“When I’m taking tests or quizzes, that’s the time it bothers me,” Christensen explains. “All the heavy machinery going on, that’s the part that makes me look and makes me wonder what is going on. It sidetracks me,” she said. Construction is being done daily, so it is hard to miss all of the commotion. 

Other students like Aria Zhang, say the noise isn’t too much of a problem. From the Meadowdale second floor, Zhang describes the noise as a three on a scale from one to ten, ten being the loudest. “I do notice the sounds over there, but I just don’t really care,” Zhang says. She is able to focus on school work as usual with the sound in the background.

The new SET building has taken many parking spots away from students, which if you have classes before 11 a.m. Monday through Thursday, you understand the struggle it is to find a spot already. EdCC has added 50 new spots in the east parking lot on campus to make up for the lost spots.

Executive Director of Facilities, Stephanie Teachman, believes the new SET building is important and will be beneficial to future students to come. “I do know the building is very much needed to meet the need for technologically advanced, state-of-the-art, multipurpose instructional space for the campus, including the Math, Science, and Nursing programs,” she explained.

EdCC is hoping to provide a better opportunity for STEM students. STEM standing for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, EdCC is hoping to raise the number of students involved with this program. 

Mentoring and tutoring specifically for STEM are provided for free on campus Mondays through Fridays from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. in the Snohomish building, room 126. EdCC is hoping that providing tools for students will make the numbers of students studying in this field rise. 

EdCC has also received 19 National Science Foundation Grants, three of the latest grants being over $1.5 million, giving more students an opportunity to receive scholarships in this area of study. EdCC really wants to get students more involved with the STEM program because of the high demand of employees needed in this field.

Although students and staff will continue to hear daily construction on campus for a couple of years, the new SET building will be an amazing addition to EdCC. Students will have more opportunities than ever to achieve new dreams, so make sure you check out information on the new SET building as progress continues.