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Artificial
turf discussion continues Sports Editor After
a 3-0 start, the Lions football team is now looking to fans for help for
next season. The
turf in Hughes Stadium is in need of replacement, but it comes with a
$450,000 to $600,000 price tag. There
are mixed thoughts among the student body about the turf issue. I
feel football is an extracurricular activity, and if we can t afford
to replace it [the turf], then we shouldn t, said Lori Morgan,
sophomore nursing major. Other
students think the turf should be replaced for the safety of the
players. John Tipton, senior business major, said it should be replaced,
if it is in fact dangerous. Tipton said with the budget crunch,
Missouri Southern shouldn t have to pay for it. Others think the
College should help fund the project. [The
College should] find a way to help fund the project instead of having
the alumni pay for most of it, said Zach Miller, sophomore physics
major. He
said the College could even try natural grass. While
the football team plays on the old turf, some who also use the turf,
like the marching band and dance team, think the turf needs replacing
soon. I
think we need the new turf, because when we re marching on it, I ve
found myself several times stepping in holes, said Michael Thompson,
sophomore music education major. While
in high school, Thompson was able to march on different college football
fields and knows how they feel. He said Central Missouri State
University has natural grass, and when it rains, it gets muddy. The cost
for cleaning the field after it rains is higher than when using
artificial grass. Thompson
said Southwest Missouri State University has turf that looks like real
grass. The
turf is more comfortable than what we have here, he said. In the
long run, I believe it is worth the cost to put in new turf. The
people who actually have to play on the field say it takes time to get
used to the turf. Nick Wilkowski, senior quarterback, said he has played
on the field for five years and is used to playing on the turf. There
are days where it s really hard to stand up, and there are other days
where after a rain it seems pretty nice, Wilkowski said. You just
kind of adjust yourself to the conditions out here. You have to. He
said opponents are terrified of the condition the turf is in. Most
of the players are used to the turf, and they have the shoes adapted for
the field, Wilkowski said. It
would be nice to have something new, but you know, until we get the
funding, Wilkowski said. |