Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less traveled by,
And I’ll be damned if I let anyone use the other one.
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Students have spent years carving a path into the grassy strip between Commons 5 and Preinkert Drive, and don’t think that the university’s Facilities Management didn’t take notice.
First, the department built a lovely new sidewalk that follows in the students’ footsteps — at least for a little while, before it veers off in a less-convenient direction.
The next step will be to line that sidewalk with bushes to make sure no one walks where they really always wanted to.
Of course, there’s a reason for that, according to Jack Baker, the department’s director of operations and maintenance.
In planning the sidewalk that would replace the perilously pitted pathway near the West Education Annex (better known as The Random Old White House Behind the South Campus Diner), Facilities Management needed to avoid the tree at the top of the hill.
“We don’t want to kill trees,” Baker said.
Besides, the new bushes that will soon keep students on the pavement may give the strip of field they destroyed a chance to recover.
So for those of you keeping score, it’s Vegetation 1, People Walking Around 0.
Sophomore kinesiology major Eric Franklin said he prefers the old route but will learn to adapt.
“I’m staying in Commons 1 and have class in the Benjamin Building, so it’s good,” he said. “It would be better if it cut up that way, but it’s better than nothing.”
The tree declined to comment. More photos below.
-By Richard Abdill
Top: pre-sidewalk conditions — courtesy of Bing Maps’ The Name That’s Not Quite ‘Streetview’
Bottom: the split between the sidewalk (white) and path (brown) — courtesy of Google Maps