2008 Woodie Awards
Sophomore proposes plan to erect Bicentennial gates
Brooke Durbin
Issue date: 3/11/08 Section: Campus
First-year Lauren Myers was running past Cook Field one day when she noticed something was missing-an official entrance to the university.
Myers brought up the idea to her roommate, sophomore Liz Bowe, who decided to take action.
As part of the Miami University Bicentennial Celebration, Bowe proposed an idea to the bicentennial planning committee to construct gates near the Cook Field area. She felt that while uptown has the Phi Delt gates, there is a need for an entrance near the east end of campus.
"It's not only important, but welcoming, to have borders to the university," Bowe said. "We're not exactly sure where we would place the gates, but it's important to have them in the Cook Field area because so many students come to Oxford through Route 73."
She added that it would be nice to tie the gates into the new student center, an important bicentennial project for the university.
Bowe has tried to incorporate the bicentennial planning committee's goal of unifying the Miami community. In order to fund the construction of the gates, she has come up with the idea of using donor bricks. Anyone would be able to purchase a brick in honor of a campus organization they were involved in while at Miami, and the gates would be constructed in a way that would make the name of the donor and their respective organization visible, she said.
"One of the things that students get most out of the whole college experience is the groups they belong to," Bowe said. "The groups I've been involved in have made the greatest impact on my career."
This is why she believes that turning all of the bricks-whether they represent a Greek organization, another student organization or a sports team-into a gate would make a positive impact and show a united Miami community.
Bowe stressed that the gates are just an idea, and absolutely nothing has been approved yet. Because they are still in the very early planning stages, the project's cost and actual design are still unknown. One of Bowe's suggestions was to hold a competition among the architecture students in order to develop a design for the gates.
Myers brought up the idea to her roommate, sophomore Liz Bowe, who decided to take action.
As part of the Miami University Bicentennial Celebration, Bowe proposed an idea to the bicentennial planning committee to construct gates near the Cook Field area. She felt that while uptown has the Phi Delt gates, there is a need for an entrance near the east end of campus.
"It's not only important, but welcoming, to have borders to the university," Bowe said. "We're not exactly sure where we would place the gates, but it's important to have them in the Cook Field area because so many students come to Oxford through Route 73."
She added that it would be nice to tie the gates into the new student center, an important bicentennial project for the university.
Bowe has tried to incorporate the bicentennial planning committee's goal of unifying the Miami community. In order to fund the construction of the gates, she has come up with the idea of using donor bricks. Anyone would be able to purchase a brick in honor of a campus organization they were involved in while at Miami, and the gates would be constructed in a way that would make the name of the donor and their respective organization visible, she said.
"One of the things that students get most out of the whole college experience is the groups they belong to," Bowe said. "The groups I've been involved in have made the greatest impact on my career."
This is why she believes that turning all of the bricks-whether they represent a Greek organization, another student organization or a sports team-into a gate would make a positive impact and show a united Miami community.
Bowe stressed that the gates are just an idea, and absolutely nothing has been approved yet. Because they are still in the very early planning stages, the project's cost and actual design are still unknown. One of Bowe's suggestions was to hold a competition among the architecture students in order to develop a design for the gates.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Adam
posted 3/11/08 @ 2:06 AM EST
Liz Bowe is definitely a first year.
Buse
posted 3/25/08 @ 3:14 PM EST
Interesting idea, but if she had looked across the street she would have seen the Bishop gates, that are on both ends of loop around Bishop woods. They do get overlooked, but I've walked through them hundreds of times. (Continued…)
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