Letter to the editor: An open letter to President Gregory Crawford, BOT Chair Mary Schell and Athletic Director David Sayler

My fellow Miamians,

Last month, The Journal News’ Michael D. Clark reported that “Miami’s iconic Millett Hall is now the focus of preliminary discussions among university officials to be supplanted by a new, on-campus arena.”

Citing an official university statement, Clark’s piece also states, “In this early planning phase, the university has identified the need for a new arena that is centrally located on campus, within walking distance for students and to Uptown Oxford.”

This second quote should give all Miamians pause, especially if we consider that the words “centrally located” and “within walking distance for students and to Uptown Oxford,” describe a location of particular aesthetic and historical significance: Slant Walk.

Fortunately, I am confident that no one in a leadership position at Miami University would even consider building a basketball arena atop Slant Walk. One of Miami’s most beloved historical landmarks, its hallowed tree-lined path has led Miamians to and from our beloved Uptown for generations. And while classic buildings like Alumni Hall, Harrison Hall and Hall Auditorium have sprung up along the route over the years, the final stretch from the corner of King Library to the Phi Delt Gates remains a breathtaking stroll across an unspoiled greenspace. Slant Walk is more than a route to restaurants and shops. It’s a central thread in our shared Miami history. To desecrate it in any way would be a dereliction of duty. 

Fortunately, in recent decades Miami University has proven that we can balance the need for facilities upgrades with our sacred responsibility to preserve our singularly gorgeous campus. The Armstrong Student Center, the new Western Campus residence halls and the new McVey Data Science Center are shining examples of thoughtful campus design and stewardship. Kudos to the architects, administrators, and donors who ensured those projects would enhance our legacy as: “The most beautiful campus that ever there was.”  They truly understood the assignment.

Similarly, Miamians understand that buildings age. We understand the need to renovate or even replace the spaces in which we cheered, studied and lived. We understand that successful capital campaigns involve aspirational construction projects. Nonetheless, I hope that I speak on behalf of countless Miamians when I beg everyone involved in the planning of a new arena to keep areas like Slant Walk off the table.

Instead, as you advance this project, I urge each of you to consider your obligation to Miami’s “days of old” as you plan for our “days to be.” And if we can find no better solution for a new arena than to bulldoze our heritage, then we must ask ourselves whether the project is worth advancing at all. The cost to our institutional soul would be too high.

With Love and Honor,

Stephen Wilson

Miami University, Class of 1994

At The Student, we are committed to engaging with our audience and listening to feedback. This includes publishing a diverse array of guest editorials. For more information on guidelines and processes, email Sam Norton, The Student's opinion editor at nortonsm@miamioh.edu.

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