Oval to remain open through spring quarter

COLUMBUS -- The Ohio State University will delay renovation of the Oval until spring quarter ends in mid-June, and the additional cost will be covered through funds provided by the Coca Cola Company.

President Karen A. Holbrook announced her decision late Thursday (4/22) following a meeting with student leaders, including the originators of a petition drive requesting the delay that gathered nearly 9,000 signatures.

“The students explained their reasons for requesting a postponement of the Oval renovation,” Holbrook said. “I was impressed with their very reasoned approach. They have convinced me and my cabinet of the importance of keeping the entire Oval open throughout spring quarter as a place to relax, exercise and enjoy a respite from the construction that is permeating our campus right now.”

Holbrook said she could not justify use of university funds to cover the $200,000 cost of delaying onset of construction on the $2.5 million restoration project and sought another way to make up the shortfall.

“We looked for an alternative that would not involve using money that is more appropriately designated for academics and student services,” Holbrook said. “Fortunately, the Coca Cola Company has stepped up to offer to fund the additional cost. We are very grateful for their generous support of this project.”

Coke spokesperson Kirk Bidlack said, “Ohio State is one of Coca Cola’s premier university partners, and we are pleased to be able to help the university preserve the tradition of spring on the Oval.”

Melissa Kizina, a graduating senior from Lorain, and Stacy Jurich, a freshman from Sylvania, led the petition drive, which collected 8,967 signatures both from students on the Oval and on-line. “On behalf of each student who expressed displeasure about this project, I would like to thank the administration for taking the concerns of students seriously and for working so hard to find a way to accommodate our needs,” Kizina said.

One of the students’ most compelling arguments, Holbrook said, was that current students have had to live, study, work and play on a campus with an unprecedented number of major construction projects.

“I think the Oval restoration was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back,” she said. “Our students have been remarkably good-natured and understanding about the detours, noise, dirt and other inconveniences that construction brings. Progress is a wonderful thing, but we also need to respect tradition. Thanks to Coke, we can do that and still be fiscally responsible.”

As the May 1 date for the renovation grew nearer, a growing number of students expressed unhappiness with the timeline. University plans called for fencing off about 40 percent of the Oval to begin work on the project, which will address deferred maintenance issues and includes replacing walkways, restoring lights and turf and removing some trees while planting others. A major component is installing an irrigation system to provide a lawn that will be easier to maintain given the heavy use of the Oval from special events as well as daily use by students, faculty, staff and visitors.

Instead of doing the work in two steps, as originally planned, the entire Oval will be renovated during summer quarter. This will necessitate closing the whole Oval for the summer. There are generally fewer events and activities during the summer, and those that would have been held on the Oval will be rescheduled elsewhere.

The 14-acre Oval is often the site of outdoor classes and is considered the heart of the campus. Students argued that closing part of the Oval this spring would limit their access to one of the few large areas of green space on campus and would deny them participation in such traditional activities as graduates having their photos taken in cap and gown with the statue of former President William Oxley Thompson, which stands at the west end of the Oval in front of the Main Library.

Undergraduate Student Government President Mike Goodman summed up student response: “The Oval is a very special place to undergraduates, and I am glad that the university and Coca Cola could come together to ensure that the students’ spring is as meaningful and enjoyable as always.”