Habitat for University

Rodney Robard scrapes the spackling from the straight edge in the new habitat at Oakland University, Thursday, Oct.18th, 2018. The room will be used for screening movies and lodging between classes.

The student body at Oakland University has been (not so) patiently awaiting the completion of the Oakland Center renovation. The newest addition, “The Habitat,” which will feature a movie projection screen and an in-ground seating space for viewers is a project that has proven to be more challenging to execute than the designers forethought.

Robard works swiftly to complete this project Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018. He doesn’t know if this is the job he would have chosen looking back.

Rodney Robard, a construction worker for this project, has been a dry wall finisher for over 33 years. When asked how much longer the habitat will take to complete, he said “I have no idea, we were supposed to be done months ago, but they keep adding stuff. It’s normal. It’s the way [construction] works.” Robard urges students to stay in school because although the job “pays well,” he did not finish college and feels limited to work a construction job which he does not necessarily enjoy.

The one good thing Robard said he likes about his job is that he gets to bring a new renovation to the university that students can be excited about. He informs us that his investment in the university’s renovation goes beyond a paycheck. Rodney Robard’s daughter (her name was non-disclosed) is a third year students at the University. He was excited to share that she works in the Library, and that she and her peers are looking forward to the new and improved Oakland Center.

Robert Robard spends his day renovating his daughter’s University Friday, October 18th, 2018. How proud he is to be a part of the Grizzly team.