The Lockhart Fountain stands outside of Lowry Center, next to the building’s basement. Graphic by Guin Oliver ’28.
Alex Markland
Contributing Writer
Construction on campus was constant before I became a student here and is still going strong as a current junior. It seems like there are always at least one or two buildings under construction at any given time. These renovations should be a good thing and a sign of a healthy campus that keeps its facilities up to date, but there are some newly renovated areas that remain unused by students. The most glaring example of this is the new fountain outside of the C-Store in the basement of Lowry.
When I got back to campus this year, I was curious to check out the fountain and the surrounding patio area, since it had only recently been finished. It is a very nice area, and it seems like a perfect place to hang out with friends, at least when the weather is still warm. The fountain itself reads “Lockhart Fountain” across the bottom and has five small waterfalls as well as a commemorative plaque next to it.
This renovation was certainly successful and has created a much needed outside eating area next to Lowry, but over the course of the first semester I have not seen any students hanging out there at all. There is a good reason for that, as I found out firsthand. When I tried to swipe to get into Lowry from the Lockhart Fountain, I was declined. When I went around to go inside, I saw a sign on the door saying that it was only to be used as an emergency exit. I have also seen some other students try to swipe in and fail before walking around to go in through the back entrance by the new bagpiper sculpture.
The fact that the door is only an emergency exit means that getting to the fountain is inconvenient no matter where you are coming from. If the door were usable, I think that there would be a lot of foot traffic going in and out, and many people would want to sit outside after they go to the C-Store. But there is no entrance or exit, and there is only one bench by the fountain. There are no tables or chairs like there are by the back entrance, meaning that even if someone were to go out of their way to look at the fountain, there is no place to sit and relax.
The Lockhart Fountain is not the only example of the misuse of a space on campus — there is a patio on the second floor of Scheide which will lock you out if you go on it — but it is certainly the most obvious. It seems to me like there is a very easy fix to this. By making the door swipeable and putting just a few picnic tables, the school could turn this unutilized area into a spot where people would want to gather and eat or do homework. The College has been spending a lot of money — much of it coming from our tuition — on these renovations, and the fact that they let this newly constructed patio remain unused is wasteful.
