Kailey Krantz | Staff Writer
The Board of Trustees approved the plan to build an aquatic center on Site 11, right by the Stocker AstroScience Center despite almost everyone agreeing that this was a bad idea.
Building this pool is so out of touch with what students want. We already have a pool at Panther Hall and the swim and dive team has a pool at the BBC Campus.
I was one of the many students who signed the Save Our Observatory petition and I’m upset that it didn’t seem to matter.
The AstroScience Center was built to give students and faculty a space to continue their studies within the astronomy field and suffocating it with bright lights and pool chemicals is a slap in the face to the entire department.
Besides the academic merit of this area, there are also fun star parties where anyone can use the telescope to watch the stars and planets.
Too bad that’s going to be ruined soon.
And if we think about it, Site 11 is the oddest place they can put this pool.
Can you imagine you’re walking to your class and all of a sudden, you’re splashed by someone? It would be so annoying that students would take the long way around to their classes to avoid the pool entirely.
The purpose of the Board of Trustees is to make “cost-effective policies…and maintain high-quality education programs [that are] consistent with FIU’s mission.”
Funnily enough, they’re 0 for 2 by spending the most money on the most expensive plot of land on the MMC campus and hindering the astronomy students’ education.
Where are they getting the money to do this anyway?
It’s sad because the money going into the pool could’ve been used for things students actually want and actually believe are going to make the university better.
At this point, they’re throwing money down the drain for a decision that took nine months to make. They were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should.
Another thing I’m worried about is what this means going forward. Are the Board of Trustees going to continue to ignore the requests and demands of students and faculty to indulge in frivolous investments?
We can’t let them ignore our concerns. This is one of the dumbest decisions ever made and I hope this doesn’t become the norm.
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The opinions presented on this page do not represent the views of the PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect the perspectives of contributing writers and/or university community members.
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