Railings will end fountain run tradition

Tonight, while reading the latest edition of my floor's potty talks, I was shocked. Shocked by this administration's latest idea on improving campus life. The tidbit related to me that the powers that be have decided there will be no more fountain runs starting next fall. They are erecting railings to discourage fountain runs because too many people have been getting hurt. I wonder how they think erecting railings will help. Fountain runs are a deeply ingrained part of Purdue culture. Just today I heard a tour guide telling a group of prospective students about the fountain run tradition. Somehow I think the list of injuries will simply grow longer because students will be climbing over the rails. I know I will.

The administration needs to realize that we are a campus full of legally adult men and women. I know we just demonstrated how mature we aren't on Sunday night, but not all of Purdue's student body was in the riots. Just as not all the student body was in the riot, not everyone runs through the fountain dangerously. Fountain runs aside, I think one of the nicest things about our fountains is the fact that they aren't railed. I mean just stop and think about what Loeb fountain will look like with a rail around it. Ugh. Fountain runs are an ingrained part of Purdue culture and neither of our fountains will look good with railing around them. Just because a few reckless people get injured doesn't mean fountain runs need to be "discouraged" in such a hideous way.

Kathy Gehlhausen

Sophomore, School of Liberal Arts

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