Miami University students’ green spaces are in jeopardy in exchange for buildings we haven’t asked for. Students have few community spaces that aren’t academic buildings, and Cook Field and Slant Walk are two of the most popular.
Slant Walk is a sacred Miami tradition that spans decades, and now a proposed basketball arena would tear it up.
Cook Field is constantly full of students doing everything from playing intramural sports to lying down to read. That space could soon house a multi-story hotel between Pulley Tower and the Farmer School of Business.
Not only would our campus be blighted with years of construction, students would lose two of the largest green spaces on campus.
Replacing the 55-year-old Millett Hall makes sense, but taking away one of Miami’s oldest traditions for a new stadium goes against everything the university stands for. We are historical and full of tradition, and that should remain unchanged.
The idea of building in that specific location comes off as a decision made without thinking of the student body, alumni or anyone else that has come to love the campus we call home. The same spots poet Robert Frost walked when he called our beloved campus “The most beautiful campus that ever there was” would be mangled, dismantled and doctored – all for another building that would be an eyesore in what was one of the prettiest areas on campus.
As for the proposed hotel, we already have one on campus: the Marcum Hotel and Conference Center. If we need an updated establishment, why not build a new hotel in the exact same location instead of destroying our largest shared outdoor area? There are many locations to build it that don’t include ruining one of the main student community spaces that isn’t an Uptown bar.
For both of these propositions, The Student implores Miami administration, the Board of Trustees and every affected individual to make their voice heard and do the right thing to keep our campus ours.
If you say “I’m leaving before this happens so why would I do anything?” you’re shortsighted and wrong. Stand up for your future alumni and fight for the campus you call home so others can have the experiences you’ve had.
Just think of all the fun foods, like quesadillas or waffles, you purchased after 11 p.m. on Slant Walk that wouldn’t be possible with a new basketball stadium. Imagine if you never had the opportunity to play intramural sports, hang out with your friends or just lay on Cook Field.
We at The Student ask everyone involved to think past the money that could be made with two new buildings and truly consider the impact they will have on student life because of where they could be built.
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The Miami Student’s editorial board is made up of Editor-in-Chief Kasey Turman, Managing Editor Olivia Patel and Opinion Editor Sam Norton, and reflects their beliefs. The contents of this staff editorial do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the entire editorial staff.
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