It’s 8:45 a.m., and I’m doing what I usually do—taking a moment to stare at the students depicted on the fence around the yet-to-be Fuquay Welcome Center.

I walk up to the image of two young men, frozen mid-conversation, and I say, “So, like, why are you still here?”

Hopefully no one heard me talking to a picture.

But my point still stands. Why is the fence still up?

Back in January, the Fuquay Center’s construction had to be delayed due to budgetary issues.

Since then, there has been no news of the project gaining any forward momentum, as the budget has to be readjusted and new contractors need to be selected.

Of course, ambitions started off high for how the building and surrounding grounds would look when finished, but the ambitious dreams would not become a reality.

To an extent, I understand. If the vision has to change and delays have to happen, so be it. Construction will begin eventually, even if it’s no time soon.

So again, why is the fence still there?

Even before the talks in January, the project was moving at a snail’s pace. Trees were removed from the area, but with all of the budget hangups, nothing else could really happen.

This resulted in shared frustration among the student body over the way the seemingly functionless fence blocked off one of the walkways leading to the parking lots.

You are welcome to make your own sardonic joke about people bemoaning having to take an extra 90 seconds to walk around a fence. Hell, make a few wisecracks about how people could use the exercise.

You big bully.

My point is, if nothing is currently going on inside the fence, and there won’t be anytime in the near future, don’t keep the fence up.

Dispense with the fence. At least until you have a plan nailed down for the building and are ready to send contractors to the build site, of course.