The Daily Campus

Issue date: 1/26/09 Section: Commentary

In tough economic times with tuition costs set to skyrocket, it's good to know that students can always count on UConn's administration to raise funds for campus beautification. That's right; despite the impending budget cuts and tuition hikes, President Hogan has deemed the "cleanup" of Mirror Lake and Swan Lake to be a priority worth raising money for. The plan also includes eventually re-landscaping the entire stretch of campus along 195 from North Eagleville Road to Mansfield Road. Hogan wants to hire outside consultants to take care of everything, completely ignoring the wealth of faculty knowledge already here. This sends a terrible message to students, parents, alumni and the taxpaying public - despite the fact that no tax dollars are earmarked for the project at the moment. Rather than appealing to alumni and the Connecticut public for money to make campus look pretty, President Hogan ought to be pleading with donors to send money to raise the caliber of classrooms and laboratories on campus, provide students with a much needed tuition break or some other academic-related goal. Instead, UConn gives the impression that it is an organization that enjoys wasting money on frivolous projects.



Not only is the Save Our Lakes campaign financially irresponsible and a public relations gaffe, it also isn't environmentally sound. The reason why Mirror Lake has filled up with sludge is a combination of constant runoff from the lawns, algal blooms and goose feces. By "cleaning" the island of "unsightly" trees and bushes, President Hogan's plan will simply make the island more attractive to geese and allow for more runoff.



A more permanent plan for dealing with the geese and erosion problems simultaneously might be something like this; plant more vegetation along the shores of the lakes and the island. Vegetative barriers discourage geese because they associate tall grass with predators and do not like to fly over such barriers when molting. Increased plantings along the edge of the lake will also mitigate erosion and runoff because plant roots hold soil in place and plants take up water and nutrients from the ground. Tall grasses and reeds provide a more natural looking pond and are much easier to maintain than lawns. Lower maintenance means less fertilizer - a cause of algae blooms - as well as less mowing. Decreasing maintenance will save the university money in the long run and allow the area to become more environmentally friendly. This plan could be implemented with help from students majoring in landscaping, natural resources and engineering. That would provide a cheap source of labor to the university and give students valuable, resume building experience.



If President Hogan really wants to burnish UConn's image, he should implement the cheapest, most environmentally friendly plan for cleaning up the lakes. This plan will utilize the wealth of faculty knowledge and student manpower already available to the university.

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