University of Virginia Library

Mud-Washed Path

In response to Dr. Philip
Allen's letter which appeared
Wednesday, I feel he has laid
the blame for the
"mud-washed path" circling
the amphitheater on the wrong
party.

My first year, when I was in
the College, my path to class
was around the amphitheater
twice a day. At that time, the
upper boundary of the
amphitheater was a classical
balustrade like the one at the
bottom and a boxwood hedge,
from Minor to Cocke Hall.

For some strange reason,
known only to Buildings and
Grounds, a crew of workmen
labored hard my second year to
uproot the boxwoods and tear
down the balustrade. They
replaced this small piece of
landscape architecture with our
"rutted path."

Dr. Allen owes the student
body an apology; but more
importantly, Buildings and
Grounds owes the University
an explanation for this illogical
and unwarranted, and
undoubtedly expensive,
"improvement" to the
Grounds.