Purdue to place fences around campus fountains

By Laura Pelner
Campus Editor

An informal University tradition will soon come to an end — by mid-May Purdue's two biggest fountains will have 4-foot fences around them, preventing people from running through the water.

The Class of 1939 water sculpture on Purdue Mall's engineering campus and the Loeb Fountain at Founders Park by the Liberal Arts and Education Building will both have fences around them made of stainless steel. The design of the fences will be the same as the handrails on the steps of Hovde Hall. The structures will be placed between existing concrete parts of the fountains so students will still be able to sit on them.

Thomas Schmenk, director of facilities planning and construction, said these railings will fit in with the rest of campus. "I think it will look like it's always been there," he said.

Schmenk said the fences' purpose is to keep people from falling in and around the fountains. "It's to the point where too many people are not paying attention to what they're doing," he said. "I'm not particularly worried about the college students; we're concerned about the children that play in that area."

Schmenk said younger children are the reason behind the project. "We want to invite people to campus but we don't want to tell them not to bring their children," he said. "We want them to see this is a beautiful place but we have to protect people from themselves — small children don't realize the danger."

When the fountains were constructed they weren't intended for people to run through them and Schmenk said if someone fell and hurt him or herself, the University would be liable.

"We've been trying to figure out how to solve that concern for a number of years, almost since the day (the fountains) went up," said Schmenk.

The fences should be constructed and in place before the water is turned on this year. Schmenk said they should be up by commencement, and if not the water will be turned on for graduation and the railings will be put up during the summer.

Many students are disappointed with the University's decision. David Pflum, a junior in the School of Health Sciences and an assistant director of Boiler Gold Rush, said members of the group are unhappy because "fountain runs" are a big function for freshmen. "It's kind of an initiation thing," he said. "(You're) not a Purdue student until you've run through the fountain. It's one of those things every Purdue student does."

Andrew Hawk, a junior in the Schools of Engineering and a tour guide for Purdue, said the railings will affect his tour. "It's just disappointing," said Hawk. "It's a tradition. It's sad to think that incoming freshmen won't have the chance to run through the fountains."

Pflum and Hawk both think the railings may detract from the aesthetic value of the fountains. "I like how they're open," said Pflum. "That's just how I know campus, with the fountains open and you being able to run through them."

Brant Dalton, a freshman in the School of Technology, said the fences will be a blow to campus morale and Drew Bisson, a sophomore in the Schools of Engineering, said he didn't feel like he was a part of the Purdue community until he ran through the fountains.

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Campus editor: Laura Pelner

Assistant campus editors: Kurt Esposito, Dave Stephens

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