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OPINION

Miami is nothing without its history, so utilize it

Dear Abbey

By Abbey Gingras, News Editor

Old Miami, New Miami. We've heard it sung hundreds of times, our alma mater declaring love and praise for days of old and days to be. But it seems with each new construction site on campus, Old Miami will cease to exist in a matter of years.

I was deeply saddened when I learned last week that the university plans to demolish Patterson Place, home to the Western College Alumnae Association, in exchange for a new dorm.

The reasoning seemed thin; David Creamer and the univrsity press relesea cited a need for 600 additional beds, more opportunities for juniors and seniors to live on campus and that somehow $500,000 in renovations was too expensive, yet $27 million in new construction was not.

Part of Miami's ceaseless allure is steeped in its history and tradition. As wide-eyed incoming students, we wondered about the folklore of an Upham Arch kiss. We were puzzled by the mysterious disappearance of student Ron Tammen 62 years ago. Perhaps most obviously, we strolled on Slant Walk to and from Uptown as we gazed with adoration at the ancient trees and beautiful academic buildings surrounding us.

I chose Oxford, Ohio to be my home for four years because of these subtle quirks and unique qualities that make Miami what it is. I could've gotten a degree in communications from almost any school, but I chose this one. And slowly but surely, red fences and bulldozers are destroying the place I call home.

I'm not at all against progress, nor are many of my peers. New academic facilities and updated dorms are wonderful and great to point out on tours with prospective students. But these are just shiny new things that every university has; they don't set us apart from the rest. They aren't what make Miami special.

Last spring I stumbled into the McGuffey House because I was under the impression that it contained the bloody door from the Reid Hall murder in 1959. Instead I learned the door is actually housed in the campus archives, but the lonely tour guide was all too excited that a student had come to see the McGuffey museum and legacy.

That day I spent time learning about some Miami history I knew nothing of prior to entering the quaint home on the corner of Spring and Oak. It wasn't what I had planned for my afternoon, but it was an eye-opening experience that made me realize how much we underutilize our roots.

Miami aspires to be eco-friendly and claims to cherish its past, but seems to act to the contrary. So I have some solutions for the university, if anyone in charge ever gets around to reading this.

First and foremost, the school wants more opportunities for juniors and seniors to live on campus. It's nice that you're thinking of us, but once we are upperclassmen, we're more than ready to say goodbye to our dorms in exchange for houses. The amount of upperclassman living space on campus is easily sufficient - not to mention the amount of unused off-campus housing.

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Next, I don't claim to know how the university decided it needed 600 more beds by 2017 - but I'm going to roll with it. There is plenty of space on campus currently that could easily be renovated to meet these needs.

Take, for instance, Hamilton Hall. It housed a dining hall on the first floor up until a few years ago, and now most of the first floor is empty. The space could readily be turned into numerous dorm rooms, and I have a feeling Scott Hall across the quad is in the same state.

As for the fate of Patterson Place, I think Miami could take a lesson from the University of Virgina's Lawn. The historic part of the Virginia campus is revered and respected; students must apply to live there and it's considered an honor to be chosen.

I would personally like to see Miami better utilize its historic spaces for special housing, or maybe a new Living Learning Community, similar to UVA. We already use Stoddard and Elliot Hall for Scholars students, I'm sure Patterson Place and other older buildings could be used in the same manner.

New Miami will be nothing without Old Miami, and we should work to preserve our history before we jump at the chance to greet our future. A single wall dedicated to old Western in a new dorm isn't enough.

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