Everyone does it every day –– go to class, go home, go to the gym or go visit friends. The most frequent landmark people need to trek across is the glorious Ankeny Field. Sadly, an unfortunate by-product has resulted from the massive daily migrations of students across campus.

Whitties, being generally well-versed in the Pythagorean Theorum, walk across Ankeny diagonally from the sidewalk entrance between Jewett Hall and Olin Hall to practically the library. Obviously there are many side paths that wind to the Sherwood Athletic Center, across to Maxey Hall and catty-corner to Prentiss Hall. But guess what?! There are also sidewalks to all of those places!! In fact, there are sidewalks to all the buildings everywhere. Who would’ve thunk!

The worst offense of all is when efficient, or should I say lazy kids, routinely skip the multitude of sidewalks leading to the Science Building. It’s one thing if you’re sprinting to an 8 a.m. (believe me –– they’re rough) to cross through the volleyball court, but if you’re lounging in the sunshine killing time before your 1 p.m. lab, there is no need to kill grass and the microbes in the grass directly before learning about the same organisms in lab.

The absolute worst result of the cattle trails is the one to the library. Apparently people prefer to walk between the tree and the sidewalk than use the 90 degree turn of the sidewalk. I guess the extra three feet is too far and the five extra seconds to work on homework justifies the giant mud pit that ends up forming. Come on people. Take a stand. Take five more seconds in the rain to keep our field looking not trod-on.