By Jimmy Dominguez, Executive Editor
Coming to campus most days, I usually park in lot six and then either walk through the Sculpture Garden or past the soccer fields. These walks are sometimes the only moments during the day in which I can get lost in thought and observe the greenery on our campus. But I often wonder, shouldn’t there be more of these spaces for students to enjoy?
Just picture it: sitting outside doing homework while a gentle breeze rustles through the tree branches overhead, helping to ground you back down to earth. Wouldn’t that be nice? To me, it sounds a whole lot better than being surrounded by four concrete walls.
The current landscape additions like the Toro walkway, the nature reserve, and the Urban Farm provide students temporary solace from their heavy responsibilities. Without these investments, student life would be isolated and bare.
Because of our busy schedules and heavy workloads, I think it’s safe to assume most college students tend to lose track of just how much time we all spend indoors – it’s not really that healthy or best for our overall well being.
According to a study by Cornell University published in 2020 found that spending 10-20 minutes sitting or walking in nature can have a positive impact on the mental health of college students.
Senior fine arts studies student Iris Martinez told me that CSUDH could benefit from adding a bit of green to its “landscape” of burgundy and gold.
“I personally would love to see more of it,” Martinez said. “I’ve been to other campuses where there’s definitely a lot more, like foliage and just trees. I think it does so much to how you are and how you feel within that space.”
If you’re looking for calm place to work outside, CSUDH currently has only a small selection of green spaces – like the seats near the Social Behavioral Sciences building, the Natural Sciences and Mathematics building, the desert-like patio near the I&I building, or the shaded tables next to the University Theatre. Just make sure to bring a few napkins, because these seats are sometimes covered in tree sap and bird sh –…uh, I mean, droppings.
With a student body of about 14,000-plus, these spots get snatched up pretty quickly, leaving most Toros with no other choice but to go elsewhere.
There may be some relief on the way, though. In July 2024, CSUDH published a 132-page master plan to bring more green spaces to campus. At least, that’s my understanding – because I don’t recall any mention of this plan at all during the summer.
The document outlines the university’s plan to create “a campus environment that is environmentally sensitive, inclusive, resilient and diverse; all while creating a functional open space network that can meet the needs of the ever-evolving higher educational community.”
There are plenty of interesting ideas and concepts noted in the plan, but the question is, when will it actually come to fruition? California State University is having system-wide budget issues, so how does CSUDH intend to fund these projects – with our tuition dollars? As far as I can tell, there has not been much communication between the CSUDH administration and the students. Assuming positive intent that maybe the message got lost in the email, it’s important for students to know the details of the plan so we can start to build support on campus.
