Before the concrete was poured, the metal bent into tube like structures and chain links, the wood fabricated into housing structures, the foundations dug--there was a place that existed before this place was erected. Barney was alive for it. In an effort to uncover what might have seen before all of this construction and subsequent co-habitation with students, I searched the web for a glimpse into this past; what I found was this:
My first reaction was that there were WAY more trees and foliage back then. There were also less buildings and open space that new structures now occupy. As IU expanded as an institution--due to increased enrollment, increases in state and federal money for budgets, renovations, etc.--trees have been removed, more concrete has been poured, grass has been planted (which leads me to this question: why the hell are Americans obsessed with grass?), parking lots, buildings, statues, walkways, parkways, spillways, tunnels, sanitation networks, areas specifically designed for students to get shit-faced (the tailgate fields), and other things that are imperative for for current and prospective students, in order to keep, and attract, they must build, and build, and renovate! What a cycle! Has anyone asked for natural restoration? Perhaps, a preserve where one can go to observe the once natural, unadulterated habit?
May I insert a picture of a campus where a balance has been achieved with the preservation of nature, particularly with respect to trees:
http://infrared.ucsd.edu/images/ucsd_aerial2.jpg
It is lovely there in La Jolla, California--but have no fear! Bloomington can be just as nice, minus the whole beach thing...where you can go to hang out, surf, have a burrito, open a book...Let's plant more trees. Let's improve our already beautiful campus. Let's do it!
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