Quad undergoes final renovations
Last-minute sod addition greens campus
Kirsten Adams
Issue date: 9/18/08 Section: News
The renovated North Quad, located behind Central Hall and closed since the beginning of the semester, will become open to students as soon as the new sod takes root.
Because of the rainy summer, maintenance employees reseeded the grass three times before administrators chose to expedite the process by importing sod, just a week before students returned to campus.
"In the quad, the students really wanted grass, so that's what we tried to accomplish, a park-like atmosphere," said Rich Péwé, vice president of administration.
It now boasts scarlet oak and crab apple trees, boxwood hedges and lilac bushes, Péwé said.
But it doesn't contain any footpaths, which junior Julie Robison considers one of its best features.
"It would be nice to have more green spaces and fewer sidewalks, but it is well-designed and adds to the aesthetic of campus," Robison said.
Péwé agreed.
"You don't want to be impetuous with your sidewalks," he said.
He said he hopes the open space will be conducive to sunny-day studying and weekend games of Frisbee.
But the school's Frisbee community has different ideas.
"I don't think the people who say, 'Oh, it'll be good for Frisbee' have seen one of our matches," sophomore Dean Fletcher said.
He said the new quad is too small and too close to buildings, trees and student traffic to accommodate Frisbee players.
"The dimensions are sort of an issue … it's just not the right size," he said.
Because of the rainy summer, maintenance employees reseeded the grass three times before administrators chose to expedite the process by importing sod, just a week before students returned to campus.
"In the quad, the students really wanted grass, so that's what we tried to accomplish, a park-like atmosphere," said Rich Péwé, vice president of administration.
It now boasts scarlet oak and crab apple trees, boxwood hedges and lilac bushes, Péwé said.
But it doesn't contain any footpaths, which junior Julie Robison considers one of its best features.
"It would be nice to have more green spaces and fewer sidewalks, but it is well-designed and adds to the aesthetic of campus," Robison said.
Péwé agreed.
"You don't want to be impetuous with your sidewalks," he said.
He said he hopes the open space will be conducive to sunny-day studying and weekend games of Frisbee.
But the school's Frisbee community has different ideas.
"I don't think the people who say, 'Oh, it'll be good for Frisbee' have seen one of our matches," sophomore Dean Fletcher said.
He said the new quad is too small and too close to buildings, trees and student traffic to accommodate Frisbee players.
"The dimensions are sort of an issue … it's just not the right size," he said.
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