The "Dark Side" of Newman Zachary Robinson

This is in the inflow to Newman Lake behind the new football stadium. As you can see there is a dense mat of garbage swirling about, with more solo cups than one could count. This is not an area often used by JMU students; in fact a lot of people do not realize that this even exists. This is a good day as well, after a strong rain it looks like a stream of garbage in a “third-world slum”. Newman Lake changes drastically less than 200 ft away, it is quite beautiful and a picturesque location. A great place to do homework outside or have a picnic, as it is often used for. This space could be improved dramatically for student education and to improve environmental impact. I think the fact that Newman Lake is dyed a ridiculous color blue to cover up the turbidity and algal load of the water is a testament to a view that people have dominion of nature without consequence. This space in the picture is not a creek as it would be naturally; this is a concreted bottomed sewer that collects the runoff of JMU and Harrisonburg.

This space could be improved by increasing the riparian buffer upstream, stopping fertilizer use, and potentially removing concrete from stream bottom to allow for aquatic life and filtration by vegetation. What this comes down to is that JMU is an institution of learning and in theory changing or adapting. Therefore it should have no allegiance to old paradigms or tradition, but seek academic understanding. If JMU is too caught up in old and environmentally hazardous paradigms of landscaping, what does this say about their ability to learn new information and change? JMU’s campus is beautiful without a doubt, but not without consequence. Using the landscaping of the campus as a class room rather than a selling point seems to be a more effective use of space, money, and provides unique learning experiences. I hope that a state college would someday abandon these highly artificially looking landscapes that seem to be the norm, and base landscaping on understanding of ecological interactions and student learning. If such approaches were taken to change the use of space on campus my picture would not be possible, this well hidden but hideous space would not exist. For every manipulation of the environment and its natural processes there are consequences, and I hope my picture has made this truth is evident as it applies to JMU’s campus.