Intramural teams, have no fear: The trees will be removed.
The President’s Coordinating Council decided to remove the eight trees planted in the field located between Tegeler and Ritter halls. Student Government Association President Mike Cappel voiced concern that the trees interfered with intramural activities.
The trees were planted during Christmas break. “Late fall and early winter is usually the time of year for lots of planting,” said Charles Smith, associate vice president of Facilities Services. “We’re removing the trees because students were playing different team sports in the area.” Technically, the area is not an athletic field.
Within days, the trees should be removed. “Once the temperature drops or the rain ends, we’ll have them moved,” Smith said.
The trees will be moved into storage until they can be replanted somewhere else on campus in the spring, according to Smith.
The decision to move the trees came before the Cappel and Business Senator Nick Fagan’s resolution to request their removal was proposed in SGA.
The resolution stated that it was important to have recreational opportunities available for students, especially with warmer weather approaching in the spring. The resolution said that the move to plant the trees was a “continued trend of bad faith on behalf of the University administration,” referring to last spring when the Trova sculptures were planted in the pasture near the Village Apartments.
The resolution went on: “The quality of students’ lives are greatly diminished when all available means for recreation are extinguished.”
The legislation was scheduled for the SGA agenda for this week. However, as the decision was made last Friday to move the trees, the resolution was not presented.
Kathleen Brady, vice president of Facilities Management and Civic Affairs, feels good about the decision. “On the one hand, as the vice president overseeing the Grounds Department, I sympathize with the frustration of the Grounds staff in trying to maintain a turf area that was not designed and built for the level of activity that has been occurring in this area,” Brady said. “On the other hand, I want our students to be able to participate in these types of activities on campus.”
