EDITORIAL: SOAKED

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Better paths would make walking to class in rainy weather easier.

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There is no reason that students should be unable to walk between buildings without being forced to wade through a three-inch -- or deeper-- puddle. Important and oft-traveled pathways, like those between the residential quadrangle and the Student Center and those between Sewall and Rayzor halls, are among the worst on campus.

We realize that Houston is not only rainy, but one of the flattest cities in the United States (only about a foot of slope per mile). Moreover, the soil is horrible, leading to differential settlement and the undulating paths we're all familiar with. Path repairs are barely keeping up with sinking soil. For every pothole fixed, another appears, despite the efforts of long-suffering grounds crew to unclog drains in the rain. But there must be a way to improve the situation.

Some solutions might be simple: short lengths of pipe, for example, could allow the water to flow under paths rather than over them, and some paths could be elevated more. Perhaps it's simply a matter of expanding the path replacement program. We're afraid that more money might be required, but then again we're not some impoverished public school. Perhaps we could call up some of our wealthy friends ... how does the Anne and Charles Duncan Path sound? And, just possibly, we could get the City of Houston to fill in that man-made lake known as Entrance 8.

In any case, the freezing feet, ruined shoes, flooded engines and soaking pant cuffs are getting to be too much. Do something. Please.

This item appeared in the Opinion section of the February 14, 1997 issue.

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