The Oaks – 0, Cal Football – 1

After $20 million dollars in litigation and $750,000 in policing fees for the tree-sitters, an accord was finally reached.  For every oak cut down, UC has agreed to plant three elsewhere.  Is this a resolution that will appease the aggrieved parties?  After all, this new training center will only benefit the university and city of Berkeley.

Regardless of whether the tree-sitters agree with the UC’s 3-for-1 decision, the trees have been cut down and a part of Berkeley’s history has gone with them.   However, with this new training facility, Tedford will be able to use this gym to recruit better players, thus enabling him to generate more revenue including donations.  Other sports will also use the new facility, thus helping the university to recruit better athletes in all sports. This new facility means a more competitive athletic agenda for UC Berkeley, which will generate more revenue.

Is this new training center worth the destruction of an important ecosystem?  Does the removal of the oaks show the university’s proclivity towards athletics while ignoring its “grass”roots?  I say, what is Berkeley if it is not a place for well roundedness and diversity; it already delivers world-class academics; now it can cover its athletic end and be an ultimate powerhouse.  And the new facility can include training for football players to hang on to the ball all the way into the end zone.

Go Bears.

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