There is a strange odor lingering around the east end of the South Oval, and I think it may be some sort of glue or chemical used in constructing the new Ohio Union. For a building that is seeking LEED certification, this does not bode particularly well. (I mean, how green can noxious chemical fumes be?) I also heard from a fairly reliable source that while demolishing the old Union, the crews had to take out a mature tree, which leads me to wonder about the project planning. All the "green" features of the new Union will take years to make up the carbon sequestration that could have been done by that tree, if it ever catches up at all. Not to sound like an angry hippie or anything, but it's hard to believe these green promises when the smell of glue is wafting across campus and addling my brains.

New Ohio Union website: Click here.
Ohio Union Construction webcam: Click here.