Boilermakers need fountain run tradition

Each semester, students run through the Class of 1939 water sculpture and Loeb Fountain. They laugh and play in part of a tradition that has become a Purdue initiation for incoming freshmen and a fun way to cool off for other students. But behind the seemingly carefree play, the students fear: "Will the University be liable if I am injured?"

We don't have to worry anymore as Purdue has taken garish steps to guarantee we won't be injured. Tacky black fences will soon surround both fountains to protect the peaceful waters from the violent Purdue students. Otherwise, they might set it on fire.

Joking aside, what kind of a world do we live in where a relatively harmless tradition such as this is sacrificed on the altar of stupidity and bad architecture?

The fences will go up before the water is turned on this year and before commencement, in order to guarantee the tradition dies with this class.

But it is tradition, not finance, not research and not even vandalism that gives a university its personality. Traditions are passed from student body to student body to give them some consistency in their chaotic school life. Traditions bring in and hold in school spirit.

Abolishing a tradition takes all that away. Fencing that tradition out will only hurt the spirit of the student body that holds it dear.

Much of the decision hinged on the fact that children could be hurt playing in the fountains.

Aren't there better solutions? Haven't centuries of architecture produced ideas that would deter children while still retaining the inherent beauty of the fountains and the fountain run tradition?

If not, this school has an extensive design program that could possibly have solved the problem.

And even if that didn't work, why not advise parents to keep their children away from the fountains? This is a campus of adults that is now constrained to designs for children.

n Editorial Board: Keith Thomas, Tom McHenry, Melissa Davis and Laura Pelner.

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