We will have to wait until fall 2019 to check out all the bells and whistles (beakers and wet labs?) of Science II, but now seems like the right time to start imploring Sacramento State to make sure this building fundamentally enhances the University’s image.

Twenty million fingers crossed, 20 million Hail Marys said and 20 million woods knocked on.

Sac State looks ready to make a large — pronounced correctly in this case by extending the “r” sound by 20 million more “r’s” — investment in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) sciences with the construction of Science II.

RELATED: CSU allocated $71 million for the construction of Science II, leaving Sac State responsible for remaining $20 million / #SacStateSays: What do you want to see added to campus?

It will have 30 biology and chemistry labs, two lecture halls, a 2,500 square foot planetarium and an observatory with a retractable roof and telescopes.

Naming rights for sections of the building — one of Sac State’s last chances to offset the costs from its reserve funds — are going at reasonable rates of $500,000 for one of two lecture halls, $1 million for the green terrace, $2 million for the plaza, $2.5 million for the observatory and $5 million for the planetarium.

But it is supposed to provide a launching point for Sac State to improve its academic reputation. And that is probably as good of a thing to do with $20 million of reserve fund money as can be thought of. (Story continues below video)

It’s a shiny new sports car that most would think UC Berkeley, Stanford or UC Davis are more equipped to drive.

There is no state in the country more overloaded with science-powerhouse universities than California; there aren’t 20 million to list, but you might get close.

Try as they might, besides Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the CSU’s are far down the list; below almost every UC as well as multiple private schools like Stanford and USC.

So get good, Sac State. In the time before and after Science II’s opening, make strides to improve the quality of education that STEM students receive at this university. Improve the reputation that our science programs have locally and nationally.

RELATED: Sac State breaks ground on $90 million science building

All the marketing campaigns, photo ops and groundbreakings will come and go with little change in public perception unless people forget that #SlackState was ever a thing.

And though it’s disappointing, increasing facility costs at all CSUs is one of the reasons tuition had to be raised last semester. It was clear (and perhaps had been for quite a long time) that Sequoia Hall was not a suitable long-term home for the programs that will eventually be moved to Science II.

Maybe if the budget allows (or Science II turns out to be a hit with the Chancellor, enough so that more money is allotted to Sac State), we can eventually upgrade the facilities of other departments that would likely raise their hand if asked, “Do your classrooms and offices no longer reflect industry standard?”

So for the eventual ribbon cutting, focus on making sure practically emptying our rainy-day fund will end up being worth it. Make the STEM programs on campus, and the university as a whole, worth this big of an investment; or fill the coffer back up quickly, so we all forget.