Students like U.'s rec. plan

Many club sports athletes said they like the plans to renovate two fields. Penn club sports athletes expressed a general consensus of support for the announcement made Tuesday by University officials calling for a $2 million overhaul for both Bower and Murphy fields. At the close of this year's baseball season, a new 1,000-seat baseball stadium will be built at Murphy Field, formerly a club sport space, while Bower Field -- where the current baseball park sits -- will become recreation space for club and intramural sports teams. Students and faculty have long complained about Penn's lack of adequate recreational facilities --Eespecially club sport space -- but many are now praising a plan that University officials hope will make the east end of campus a center for organized athletics. "I'm kind of glad there's been a decision," Recreation Director Mike Diorka said. "For those that have patience, good things will come. What we're hopefully going to get out of this is a quality facility for recreation." College junior Jason Miller, co-captain of the men's Ultimate Frisbee team, said he was happy with the announcement and what it will mean to the future of Penn recreation sports. "It seems that what they're planning to do will definitely be an improvement," Miller said. "I definitely think this is a step in the right direction. They're finally making some progress." Renovations on Bower Field -- which will include resodding and lighting for nighttime use -- are scheduled to be completed in September, while the new Murphy Field is expected to be up and running for the 2000 baseball season. Though most student athletes are enthusiastic about the project, some complained that the University failed to communicate with the groups it was trying to help. "[The University] really told us the bare minimum, sort of keeping us in the dark," said College junior Alex Snyder, treasurer of the men's rugby team. "There's been a lot of anger -- not really directed at anybody specifically but at the University in general." Much of this discontent stems from the fact that since construction on a water chiller plant on Murphy Field began earlier this semester, club and intramural teams have been moved to Hill Field -- a temporary home that athletes have derided as unacceptable. Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said on Tuesday that during the construction period, club athletes will have access to Franklin Field and the University will install temporary nighttime lighting on Hill Field. Snyder explained that players using Hill Field must contend with uneven grass and manhole covers, while Engineering junior Ava Segal, captain of the women's ultimate frisbee team, added that her team has suffered "a lot of injuries." However, Engineering senior Matt Liebhold, the men's Ultimate Frisbee team representative to the Sports Club Council, said that although Hill Field is not the most ideal location, it serves the purpose as a temporary measure. "[Hill] may not be the best place but it's better than nothing," Liebhold said. "I just think that the Recreation Department has done a really good job trying to help and work with us. It's nice to have a place to play." Many athletes said they were willing to deal with a lesser accommodations, knowing that greener pastures are just a few months away. "Right now, we're kind of paying for [the renovations]," Segal said. "But you have to take one for your team."

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