Despite the frequent setbacks last semester, it is by no means surprising that yet another roadblock stands in the way of the Army Corps of Engineers' controversial Pit 3 dig: a shell containing arsine gas and "energetics," which are explosives containing TNT.
There was no way the shell could have exploded - fuses for those weapons were not preassembled, according to the Army Corps. But the shell's discovery did offset the dig by more than a month, and weapon excavation has yet to resume.
Students and community members would be remiss to fault either the Army or the university for the discovery of the pernicious shell. Indeed, excavators may now have to betray their initial 14-week timetable, but the Army Corps' decision to postpone the dig was an inevitable, good call.
Our issue concerns the means by which the Army Corps and the university have informed - or sometimes, failed to inform - students and community members of important dig developments. Despite the ubiquitous calls for transparency from residents and students alike, there was no immediate e-mail alerting us of the shell's discovery. Some of us at The Eagle only learned of the dig's delay by a stray Associated Press report.
Not to ferment undue hysteria, but the university owes students an explanation when their health or safety is at stake. The Army Corps has stopped nothing short of reminding residents of the risks associated with its munitions dig, so it makes little sense why students only learn of such important developments long after they pose a significant threat.
Nor is this communication lapse an isolated or rare occurrence. Instead, it's the latest chapter in a series of logistical blunders, the most notable of which include insufficient warning sirens and ambiguous evacuation plans, all of which actually pose a threat to students' safety.
It's about time the university live up to its promise to "start fresh" and come clean with students on the dig. We should have the same information as the university, and we deserve to be part of a transparent and helpful dialogue on an issue that impacts our stay at AU. Only then will unexpected setbacks - munitions or otherwise - seem as unexpected and inconsequential as the Army Corps and the university would like us to believe.
