Every year, UW-Madison slams the door on more than 500 incoming freshman. As the only Big Ten university that cannot guarantee housing to all of its freshman class, these students must pay more for private dorms or find other housing off campus. One option should have been considered from the start - keeping the old Ogg Hall open.
There are numerous reasons why Ogg is coming down now rather than later. For example, the building needed sprinklers installed, which would have cost more than $8 million. According to UW-Madison Housing Director Paul Evans, the university did consider saving one of the old Ogg towers, but eventually decided against it.
It just isn't a practical option,"" Evans said. ""The reasons why we wanted to tear down Ogg still exist. We'd still have to spend a lot of money to get that building to be where we want it to be.""
However, with a chronic lack of housing for incoming freshman, keeping at least one tower open - which would provide enough housing for those who need it until new dorms are built - seems like common sense.
To the university's credit, the 2005 Campus Master Plan does address our housing woes eventually. Proposed residence halls on Lakeshore, set for final completion in 2012, would add about 500 beds. This summer, however, a bitter budget battle in the state Capitol has halted production of the new Lakeshore dorms.
This isn't the first time the state Legislature has tried to block funding for increased housing. In fact, the university originally planned to add housing at the site of the new University Square, but the state refused to fund the project, leading to the development of Plan B, the proposal for the two new Lakeshore dorms.
The denial of state funds for UW-Madison seems to be a pastime of those in the state Capitol over the past few years. Funding for academics as well as projects to improve student life must be a priority if we wish to continue to compete nationally. However, we cannot blame everything on the state Legislature. After all, the university's Plan B did not immediately address the housing shortage like Plan A did - it still forces us to wait five years for a solution.
Furthermore, these new dorms should have gotten approval years ago. That way we would at least have some time to spare concerning the sprinklers in the old Ogg and could seriously consider keeping it open for at least a few more years.
Students, starved for green space since construction began over the SERF fields in 2005, really need this space, which will not be available until 2009, according to Alan Fish, associate vice chancellor for facilities, planning and management.
This added green space also fits in with a larger plan called the East Campus Mall. Overall, the mall is a fantastic idea that will provide more cohesion to the east side of campus through a series of pedestrian malls stretching from Lake Mendota to just north of Regent Street.
However, this space is only the first step in developing the mall. Other plans include the replacement of Humanities, which is at least 10 years off according to Fish, and the shrinking of the parking lot between Memorial Union and the Red Gym. This proves that Ogg did not need to just yet come down from a campus aesthetic, either.
UW-Madison may have grand plans to renovate campus, and I look forward to coming back to see it in 20 years. But if the state Legislature keeps refusing to put student interests first, and if the university is unable to find an adequate way around it, then I can't even begin to imagine what other more serious problems could possibly lay ahead in the future.
Erik Opsal is a senior majoring in political science and journalism. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
