Staff editorial: A route through history

The proposed Purple Line project has turned into a bad movie that just won't end. For years administrators and transit officials have debated where exactly the proposed light rail system, which would connect Metro lines from Bethesda to New Carrollton, should slice through the campus. With each proposal, complications have multiplied, the latest of which came earlier this week.

Morrill Hall, the second oldest building on the campus and the only structure of the original Maryland Agricultural College to have survived the Great Fire of 1912, could soon become a county-designated historic landmark after a vote by the city council. If the 112-year-old building was to receive such a designation, then the administration's proposal to run the light rail train down Preinkert Drive, directly outside the South Campus Dining Hall, would cut tracks right by a protected historic landmark.

But even if Morrill Hall isn't bestowed with this government recognition, the building's historic location in the former center of the campus is not one that should be disturbed. Memorial Chapel and the green lawns that surround it are also close by. This area of the campus is one that retains the collegiate atmosphere of the university's past. That atmosphere would be destroyed by any type of train, whether it be a light rail or a freight line.

However, this seems of little concern to administrators. Vice President for Administrative Affairs Ann Wylie brushed off the historic significance of Morrill Hall and other buildings on the campus, remarking "Why does it matter?" to the possible historic designation Morrill Hall could soon hold, comparing the building, which was constructed in 1898, to Cole Field House, which opened in 1955.

To answer her question, it matters for multiple reasons. We are the flagship university of the state. While many things make this university unique, our history is a part of it. To ignore the significance or the history of the campus and buildings is a disservice to students and alumni alike. Part of the pride one takes in an old university is its ability to persevere over time, including both the institution and its structure.

Universities such as Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford and Yale are not famous solely for all they have accomplished but also because of the historic significance of their campuses. The centuries-old buildings that stand on their campuses are rooted in the lives of the people who helped make them what they are today. That should be a goal of this university as well. It is possible to be a leading university in the 21st century without the destruction of all that remains of our past.

Campus Drive is still the best alternative. While the possibility that research could be hindered must be addressed and solved, the administration should cease the continued efforts to scar the most historic and beautiful part of the campus. Hopefully Morrill Hall's recognition as a historic site will finally make the Preinkert Drive alignment a thing of the past.