[Vision2020] Artificial Money

[Timothy Rigsby]

Like I said before and I will say again, it does not matter who is paying for this
turf installation.  The part that angers me the most is the fact that the day lay-offs
were announced just so happened to be the same day a call for proposals was advertised
in the Daily News for installation bids.
Timing could not have been worse.  This whole turf fiasco is such a slap in the face
for the people who have lost or will lose their jobs.  Yes, I understand that the money
spent on turf could not and will not be spent on the 27 jobs lost and the 40 vacancies,
however for UI to announce such an expenditure the same day it announces lay-offs is 
really lame. 

I have not and still do not support the decision to replace grass with field turf.  Not
only from a fiscal standpoint but also from the standpoint of student-athlete safety.
Grass fields are a lot safer and prevent more injuries to athletes than field turf.  
Studies have shown this and still show that injuries increase to athletes when they
participate in activity on artificial turf.  Field turf, the style that was chosen by
UI, shows a decrease in injuries when compared to the original AstroTurf, however, grass is still the safest playing surface when compared to any type of turf.

If you go to Boise St. or WSU you will not see every field full of turf.  Yes, WSU has
field turf on two or three fields, but for the most part, the fields remain seeded with
grass.  Boise St. just announced an expansion of their football field.  This will 
include a new indoor football field that they promised to allow students to use.  
Great, good for them, but they don't have near the financial problem that UI has.  Plus
their football program is doing really well and they have a lot of donor support for
this expansion.  You will not see the rest of the grass in Boise turned into turf 
anytime soon.  You will see more than likely, a corporate sponsorship on the side of 
that new building in Boise.  I am glad UI does not have that problem with the Kibbie.
Imagine the Cingular Wireless Kibbie Dome or the Jenny Craig Dome, not impressive.

Not only will installing turf remove something natural, grass for example, but it will
remove the job of the guy, or gal, who mows that grass, paints the lines, and turns
the water on.  Not to mention all of the other jobs like spraying for weeds, and 
general maintenance.  

Even though the turf won't need to be mowed, watered, painted etc. this new turf will
still need to be swept and cleaned and additional rubber pellets will have to be 
installed.  This will create one task for one individual as opposed to many different
tasks for a number of people, painting lines, mowing, spraying etc.

Also, the paint that gets sold to UI for the lines on the grass, with the turf, 
Columbia Paint won't need to sell anymore striping paint for football.  The chemicals
that Wilbur-Ellis sells to keep the grass green and the weeds gone, will not be needed
with turf.  How many local businesses will stock the rubber pellets that will be
used as in-fill on this new turf?  Which local mechanic will turn a wrench on the 
sweeper that will keep this new turf clean?  The effects of this turf are far reaching
not only on campus, but into the community.

This is a far reaching comparison, but GM did a similar thing when they changed 
production of cars and trucks from using people to using machines.  Eliminates jobs, and hurts the people that rely on those jobs.  

Just the two cents from a student at UI who actually cares about the work that has
been and continues to be done by the tireless and overworked faculty, staff, 
and maintenance people at UI.  

Tim Rigsby
Student, University of Idaho
College of Education, Division of HPERD
Physical Education, School & Community Health Education, and Sport Science