Fountain fight is finally finished

Fellow students, alumni and concerned community members: I regret to inform you that your long and hard-fought battle with Purdue officials regarding the alteration of your beloved Class of 1939 Water Sculpture is over.

It was a gallantly fought war, but now it's time to move on and accept the fact that one of our two major fountains (probably the most recognizable features on this campus aside from the clock tower) is being transformed to resemble a rocket launching pad.

Oh cheer up. You fought hard and you actually did make a difference.

Once the decision to put up a fence around the fountains for safety and liability reasons was announced near the end of the spring semester, the entire Purdue community was outraged (this includes the squadrons of alumni all across the nation). Never, at least since I have been associated with this publication, had our opinions department received so many letters to the editor about one topic (though the revelry-based destruction following the women's national championship loss to Notre Dame was a close second).

You let Purdue know how you felt about the idea of a fence enclosing the fountains, keeping them off limits for the whole community.

After a couple of conversations with various Purdue officials, I thought it was a lost cause. It was basically made clear to me that there was no negotiating the barrier placement plan.

Well, much to my surprise, things began to change. Committees were formed (some with students, some without) to address the best ways to resolve this issue. People took up petitions and voiced dissatisfaction toward Big Brother about the fence idea by participating in the Million E-mail March.

Finally, based on committee recommendations, Purdue decided to go with the "floating cylinder" as a safety precaution that is to reduce the likelihood of injury (whatever). I, too, am not happy with this contraption. But, I do think it's a long way from the original proposal of making it look like a prison camp with razor wire surrounding the waterspout.

And although I struggle deeply trying to find a positive image of this thing in my mind, I come up dry. Some are really convinced that once the 10-plus-foot giant beer keg is placed over the jet stream, it will look nice. The water sculpt is supposedly going to contain a reflective finish that makes the area look nice. If it does, I'll be the first to admit I was wrong. And in this case — where the great geyser is concerned — I hope that I am wrong. I really do hope that this is a way to still enjoy the tranquility and beauty of our fountain.

But, until they do, I am skeptical.

And until the issue changes, consider this topic as dry as the fountain's concrete. Our 10-letter-limit on this issue is expired and will be unless some additional developments present themselves. I doubt that will happen, too. After all, we've already had to go the entire summer without the water. It's likely you won't see the water until the fall either.

Maybe (only maybe) then will we be able to accept additional letters to the editor for publication concerning the future of the fountains.

Thank you for all the responses and ideas. They have been truly entertaining.

Keith Thomas is a senior in the School of Liberal Arts. He can be e-mailed at editor@purdueexponent.org

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