Fences incite controversy

By Vanessa Renderman
Special Projects Editor

Alicia Cray remembers when her dad took her to play in Purdue's fountains when she was young. Now that she's older, she has brought her niece and nephew to play in them. But if the University continues with its plan to construct fences around the fountains in the Purdue Mall and Founders Park, traditions like Cray's will end.

"I don't know why they have to go around ruining a tradition," said Cray, a junior in the School of Liberal Arts.

Cray was one of hundreds who signed a petition Thursday afternoon opposing the University's decision to erect fences around the fountains.

"I think, basically, (the fences) are not going to keep anyone out," Cray said.

Graham Cooks, a professor in the chemistry department, led Thursday's signature drive. He said he thinks the people in charge of university design have done a good job beautifying campus in the past 10 years, but putting up fences would take beauty away from the campus and would make the atmosphere less inviting.

Cooks said that closing off the fountains would symbolize a closed frame of mind from the University and could discourage prospective employees from choosing to work at Purdue.

"It creates an atmosphere that is not open and perceptive," he said.

Cooks, a member of the University Architecture Landscape Planning Committee, said he plans to bring the signatures to the committee's meeting today and show the amount of opposition against the fence-building plans.

However, Cooks' and others' efforts will not likely change the University's decision.

"The decision to build fences is based on safety and liability," said Joe Bennett, vice president of university relations. "Those are things that are not going to change unless somebody has a solution that is a better solution."

Bennett said the University Architecture Landscape Planning Committee was not consulted about the decision before it was made because it was considered a risk management issue.

He said that, in retrospect, the committee could have been consulted for input concerning the aesthetics of the fences. The committee will have an opportunity to give input at its meeting today.

Cooks, who was the chairman of the committee that chose to install the fountain in Purdue Mall, says the student body and the university community should have a say in the decision.

There have been conflicting opinions concerning the function of the Loeb Fountain in Founders Park — whether it was designed for people to play in and run through.

Bennett said no, but Cooks said yes. "(The Loeb Fountain) was designed to be an interactive fountain," said Cooks.

Bennett said, "It was never designed with the intent that people could go through it."

Bennett added, however, that it was designed so people could walk through it during the months it is turned off so they don't have to walk all the way around it.

Leah Riter, a graduate student, is disappointed that she won't be able to complete the traditional run through the fountain with her lab colleagues when she graduates.

Riter was one of the students gathering signatures on Thursday and said most of the people she has talked to are against the move to install fences "because it's a beautiful part of Purdue."

Cray said one of the reasons she is opposed to the fence is because it doesn't serve much purpose.

"It's just another way the University is trying to ban people from doing things," she said. "And (the fences) are ugly."

Bennett said that unless someone comes up with a different, but equally safe, solution, the plans will remain.

"As far as the decision goes, if the water is going to be turned on, the barriers must be up," he said.

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Campus editor: Laura Pelner

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