Ashlee Verrier, a spokesperson for Syracuse University’s Sod Integration Committee (SIC), a subdivision of Physical Plant, said Thursday that the University has “big plans for campus” this Arbor Day.
Believe it or not, we are actually going to cover the campus in grass. Verrier, a 1981 graduate of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, said the University’s plan is truly groundbreaking. I’ve been rolling out sod for almost 15 years now, but I’ve never heard of anything like this. We [SIC] are very excited.
As part of the Arbor Day celebration, Physical Plant employees will cover the exterior walls of seven buildings on campus with grass. But it’s not going to happen overnight. The sod will be tied to wire mesh and mounted on the buildings for at least five days to give the grass a chance to dig in. SIC is working very closely with other subdivisions of Physical Plant to ensure nothing goes wrong. Last week, a senior Physical Plant official, who wishes to remain unnamed, decided against temporarily disbanding the Leaf and Garbage Blower Taskforce (LGBT) to provide additional manpower for the project. The work LGBT does for campus life is indispensable; we cannot go without it even for a day, he said.
Verrier is still optimistic. Since all of the grass on campus goes through a two to three week rotation between April and September, we find ourselves planting a lot of sod. So yeah, I think we’ve got this covered. Despite Verrier’s enthusiasm, some students are skeptical. Alexa Bailey, a sophomore accounting major, thinks there are better ways to be green. Like seriously, I love being green. I let my hair air dry for like 15 minutes after I shower, then I finish it off with my hair dryer. The best part is my boyfriend still thinks beautiful.
According to Verrier, the project will be paid for by an increase in funding for facilities and grounds upkeep. Looking into the future, Physical Plant has its eyes set on breaking the record for different types of flowers planted in one spot over a months time. Last July, Physical Plant replaced the flowers in front of Crouse-Hinds a whopping 23 times. It’s great to see the University is finally getting its priorities straight.
