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News and nonsense sp iced wi th nerve

Students shadow Pittman Hall construction projects

By Robyn Hoffenblum | THE EASTERN ECHO

Added December 9, 2009 at 8:26 pm

Eastern Michigan University is giv ing mentors and students a chance to work together on campus.

Brandon Pomish, head of the Pittman Hall construction project, wanted to get students involv ed in the project to

give them education beyond the classroom. The students in this shadowing project will take practical knowledge

and skill away from this experience.

“The students are shadowing the project manager and the site

superintendent,” said Pomish. “They are both brand new into the

construction industry , and have no experience in the professional

construction env ironment.

“The goal of the program is for the students to coincide their classroom

education with on-the-job learning. An objectiv e goal for them at the end

of the project is to be able to execute a construction schedule using the

scheduling software av ailable in the professional field,” Pomish said.

“It’s pretty interesting because when I’m with the construction manager I

feel like I’m in his shoes because I see all the obstacles he has to go

through and get to see how it gets done,” said Iman Eidi, one of the

student mentors. “It feels good to use what I’m learning in the class and actually seeing how it gets done in the

real world.”

As a current student in the mentorship program, this is Eidi’s first time doing construction on a building, and he

likes it.

“I heard about this project through Eastern Constructors from Dr. Stein,” said Eidi.“It was an e-mail he sent

around for everybody , and I decided to apply for it because I hav e nothing to lose. I’ve been working there since

September. I usually go to the site in between my class breaks. What I do is mentor the project manager on the

site. I follow him around; see what’s getting done, and what needs to get done.”

“I am mainly there to observ e but I get inv olved with things like daily work reports, updating the schedule,

writing requests for information and other general work,” said Gregory Champion, another student in the PCI

mentorship program.“I found out about the opportunity because it was announced in class by the instructor. It

was also posted on the Construction Management board in Roosevelt Hall.”

Champion had some experience before he started the mentorship, “I do enjoy it. I’v e been there about a month.

It is v ery interesting learning how things go from bare materials to a finished building,” he said.

Pittman Hall has been under construction since Oct. 8. The unofficial completion date of this shadowing project

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and the construction of the Pittman building will be in January 2010. Renovations being made include new

carpet, paint, millwork, and bathroom counters, as well as new lighting, new study lounges and recreational

lounges on alternating floors.

“The total project budget is $1.63 million,” said Christopher Longerbeam, the project engineer. “PCI’s

construction contract is around one million. The rest of the costs are in furnishings and other owner costs.”

Section: News, Top Stories

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