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Wednesday 4/18/2001
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Wednesday 4/18/2001
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 Water safety should be left to individuals
While the student and staff populations are all stirred up about the University’s typically bureaucratic decision to fence the Purdue water sculpture and Loeb Fountain without investigating better solutions, I decided to enter my two cents on the issue. Of course, after hearing the widespread outcry against the University’s position, Ken Burns, executive vice president and treasurer, announced Monday the decision to postpone construction of the ugly but functional fountain fences. Once again we see a bureaucratic system that leapt at a chance to control our lives with a half cocked idea, never thinking of the beauty or tradition that would be lost by their endeavors and proving that if we leave things to the system we can expect solutions, but not necessarily the best solutions. Robert Youngman, a former University of Illinois professor and the designer of the Class of 1939 water sculpture, came forward Friday with a much more aesthetically pleasing solution to the safety concerns posed by the University. He proposed the installation of a "floating cylinder," which would enclose the lower area of the water jet. Why couldn’t University officials come up with similar solutions? The University was thinking only of the liability concerns and not the wishes of the students, staff and alumni whose money is actually going into the construction of the unwanted structures. This is typical of decisions made by the University. Where is our Purdue Student Government to help voice our disapproval? Probably the same place it was when it decided that it didn’t care what we voted for during the election. But why is the University deciding to fence the fountains now? The Class of 1939 water sculpture has been around since its dedication in 1989. Injuries have been sustained in or around the fountain area during that time and the University has been held liable for these injuries. One specific incident included a girl who was thrown into the air and broke an arm. I suppose her parents were not at fault. Why is the University held liable for the carelessness of individuals? Mainly because the United States, the so-called land of the free, has way too many laws. And way too many lawyers as well. Over half the lawyers in the world are from the United States. Strict liability laws, such as the ones that require homeowners to fence their pools, even if they have "No Trespassing" signs, are the same flawed legislation that the University is forced to confront when dealing with the fountain issue. This is also the reason that they cannot simply solve the problem by placing signs that warn of the danger involved. It is not Purdue University’s job to keep us safe; it is Purdue’s job to educate. We are all adults here; we don’t need to be treated like children. But until the laws are changed, we will continue to be told how to live our lives. I grew up in rural Alaska. I spent my youth in the woods around my home. There were no government programs or restrictive liability laws to keep me safe, but I managed to survive. And when I did fall out of the occasional tree, my parents didn’t run to the landowners and sue them for the injuries I caused to myself. I would have been embarrassed if they had. Somehow I survived without a governmental safety net. Maybe I just have too much faith, but I believe that the rest of us can too. And when that day comes, we can finally tear down all the fences and truly be free. Ian Clift is a sophomore in the School of Science. |
Water safety should be left to individuals
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