The renovations to State Gym are not yet complete. The facility should be open again when the spring semester rolls around, but until then we’re stuck with Lied, Beyer and whatever other space you can find around campus.

The reason is an apparent shortage of the zinc necessary for the walls of the addition.

While we’re displeased with the university and the contractor for failing to ensure that all the materials they need for the project are available, the situation was handled well. Instead of charging students their nearly $90 athletic fee, the university will refund it if the Board of Regents give their approval, and the contractor is exploring the feasibility of options other than zinc. Hopefully this situation is used in the future as a model for handling interruptions in campus construction — Lord knows there’s always something going on.

Until State Gym is reopened, we should be patient. The renovations weren’t some public relations stunt the administration conjured up to sell itself to prospective students and their parents. The impetus for renovations came from student requests for workout facilities on the West side of campus coupled with the administration’s desire to improve students’ well-being.

To refresh your memory, almost exactly two years ago this newspaper reported the State Gym addition will have a “gymnasium, fitness and free-weights area, aquatic facilities and recreational pool, jogging and walking track, group exercise and multi-purpose activity rooms, climbing wall and a vending area.”

Updated parts of the older section of the building will include improvements to the “gymnasium handrails and floor, outdoor recreation, club sports rooms, fitness assessment area and areas for equipment storage and laundry.”

That’s a lot of improvements. Be grateful. As the Daily’s editor-in-chief noted upon seeing the construction site, “There’s so much going into this place. It’s not even believable.”

The way the administration has handled its inability to open State Gym demonstrates at least some effort on their part to appease the student population and keep us informed about their progress, or lack thereof. But, we still feel that we should be more informed about how the renovations are progressing. If you recall, asking for student input was a major part of planning the improvements.

We were disappointed to hear about the delay in reopening State Gym, but we must say, it is good to hear that the university is working on alternatives and actually refunding some money to students. It is nice to see the university near completion on a project that incorporates student input and is reasonably fair to students’ wallets, too.