6A / NEWS / MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
CAMPUS
Engineering school trying to save iconic tree
Tree's varying colors an attractive feature
Construction on a new engineering building will likely force the removal of a tree long enjoyed by students. It would have cost $11,000 to re-plant.
BY CARLO RAMIREZ editor@kansan.com
For the last 40 years engineering students have enjoyed watching the crabapple tree outside of Eaton Hall change colors. It has become a staple for many students during their time at the University. But it might not be there for long.
"Some people may only see a tree; I see an amazing living structure that gives a lot of people pleasure through its beauty," said Jill Hummels, director of public relations for the School of Engineering. "When it catches the snow it's nothing short of stunning."
Howard Ting/KANSAN
In January, the school received a grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology that will provide enough support to construct a new research facility. The work inside the building will focus on materials, measurements, infrastructure and sustainable environment. As for now the building is "tentatively" being called the Materials, Measurement and Sustainable Environment Center.
the tree is located.
Currently, the school plans to construct the new building where
Engineering Student Council and Graduate Engineering Association have gotten involved to determine how to preserve the tree. At first the plan was to uproot the tree and plant it somewhere else. However, the tree is surrounded by metal pipes which run underground that cancel out landscaping companies' use of machinery that would detract the tree. A fundraiser was put together in order to raise $2,000. However, after the landscaping companies took a look at the tree, the cost to re-plant the tree rose to $11,000. No other landscaping company could guarantee the tree would live past a year.
the tree without a one-year guarantee of survival is not the best option.
"Even though we are engineers, we still do appreciate beauty," said Mahender Mandala, a graduate student from Hyderabad, India and president of the Graduate Engineering Association.
Hummels said she noticed the tree when she first began working for the school 10 years ago. Hummels said she couldn't help but notice all the variations of colors the tree took during each season. In the spring, as she describes, the tree is a mass of white blooms, the summer brings a profusion of green, and in the fall you are able to see red berries.
The two student groups decided the $11,000 required to preserve
"Freshman year, I would always notice the whole line of trees leading up to Learned Hall," said Davidson, a senior studying mechanical engineering and business administration from Overland Park. "However, there was this one
Colin Davidson, engineering student council president, admires the tree most in the spring.
smaller tree that was separated from the rest. I saw that it was a unique tree and definitely stood strong on its own."
The new plan of action is to contact the Douglas County Master Gardeners to see about some kind of propagation from the tree. They hope to take the best advice from the Master Gardner, which could include grafting a scion from the tree or collecting seeds and planting them.
Hummels said she hoped the master gardeners would point the school in the right direction to keep the tree around.
"Raising funds to transplant the tree is on hold," Hummels said. "We do know that if we were successful in propagating the tree, we have some areas identified southwest of Eaton where it would be safe to plant for future generations to enjoy."
Edited by Clark Goble
ODD NEWS
Book checked out in 1975 returned
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — A novel checked out in 1975 from the College of William & Mary library is back.
The long-term lender is alumnus Pat Harkin, who found the book of Leon Uris" "QB VIII" in a box.
The library caps its fees at $35. The overdue fee could have hit $1,400.
Associated Press
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