The oak trees on UL’s campus have been here since the school first opened. The very first president, Edwin Stephens, planted these oak trees when the school first opened in 1901. The oak trees on our campus are referred to as century oaks because they are over 100 years old. To cut them down would be a complete shame. Plants also provide oxygen for animals to breathe and survive. I think it would wrong to cut down UL’s oak trees because not only do they provide oxygen for animals and people and are historic monuments, they also set apart our university from any other because they provide natural beauty.
When the university first opened it was just an institution without even the title of a university yet. Our president planted these trees along the edges of the campus. I think that because of the fact that they have been here so long that it would be wrong to cut them down now. It can be compared to the white house. It is extremely old but we don’t demolish it to build a new one, instead we value its historic value and admire the fact that it should be preserved. These trees are being cut down to build new buildings for classes and offices, but there is property elsewhere that could be constructed for these buildings. Another plan is to possibly go around the tree and design something to preserve the tree and its beauty. A house without landscape would just look ugly, and then we would look like LSU. Our university is the only one in the nation to have a swamp with live alligators in it. This provides natural beauty that whether students think about our not draws them to our school. When you look at other campuses that are just buildings, it gives off the appearance that there is no life at the school. Having the oak trees and other landscape makes our campus look really nice and makes it stand out. The fact that our trees are over 100 years old makes us proud that we have preserved them for this long. Another factor that should be taken into thought is the fact that these trees are producing oxygen for us to breathe. Some of these trees are really big and have branched out really far. Each year 13 million hectares of the world’s forests are lost due to deforestation. Though, cutting down a few trees on a college campus may not seem like a lot of trees it is the principle that matters. Even the rainforests are slowly depleting. To preserve the few trees on our campus makes a statement that others can see and possibly learn and follow from.
It is understandable to want to create a better university with larger and newer buildings, but the thought to preserve the beauty we have naturally should come first. You can create a nice campus that looks nice with newer and grander buildings but it losses the natural country setting we know and love and creates a glum city environment. It is a nice feeling to walk around campus and see the trees providing shade and natural beauty to our school.
Cited:
Fao.org
I agree, the oak tree should remain. ULL has many other places where no trees would be harmed, that they could put another building.The tree represents ULL's history.
ReplyDeleteI agree and believe that the oak trees on UL's campus should not be cut down. They have been here since the start of our university, and cutting them down would be like taking a part of UL's history. These oak trees provide beauty to our campus and it would be such a shame to have that taken away.
ReplyDeleteI believe that you are slightly misinformed.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, none of the six trees are Century Oaks planted by Edwin Stephans, that is false.
Speaking of beauty, these dorms and other developments will only increase the value of our campus, not to mention the planting of FIVE trees for every ONE tree they will be cutting down. If you do your math correctly, UL will be loosing 5 trees and gaining 30, thats a lot of oxygen to go around.
As for as space, you should walk the out skirts of campus, you will see no space for development anywhere. Our Universtiy is growing at an exponential rate as far as enrollment, the only issue is where to put people.
The issue with this is the reporting of news. People hear what is said, and what is said is not always true. Since we live in a society that is obsessed with controversy and what not, people will make a big deal out of the smallest things.
It is so important to preserve the nature around us. Not only do the trees provide shade and beauty, they are a symbol to UL and represent more than just a plant. I signed a petition last semester to stop the cuting of the trees and I definetly support leaving them alone so future generations can enjoy them.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that UL is growing rapidly and has no room to put people is indeed a huge issue but i believe that cutting down trees is not the answer. Preserving nature is very important to many people and I think there has to be another way to go about the situation. New buildings and dorms would help UL to expand more and bring in more profit but this should not happen at the trees expense.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I fully agree that the preservation of trees like the UL oaks is about more than just landscaping. It's about history.
ReplyDeleteI think the preserving of UL's oak trees are very important because it provides oxygen as well as beauty to our campus. It is a historical landmark that we should appreciate instead of cutting down. Although UL needs more buildings for students to learn, other property should be used for construction.
ReplyDelete