Spring Break
Speed City sanctuary may not stay
Elisha Maldonado
Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: Still Standing Tall
The California State University Board of Trustees' May approval of a new sports complex on South Campus has put a spoke in the wheel for the SJSU track and field organization.
The city of San Jose intends to construct the $14 million complex, which includes soccer fields and additional parking, on top of the Bud Winter Field. While the track and field team wants many things done to the track, the proposed deal is not among them.
"Originally, we were going to use the track," said senior kinesiology major William Brown, a track athlete, coach and co-founder of the SJSU Track and Field Club, which was founded in 2006. "But the track is old."
"There are holes in the track turf matting, and the plaque that commemorates the field to Bud Winter is slowly eroding away," the Track and Field Web site stated.
In an effort to sway the city from going along with its plan, the Track and Field Club has been informing students, asking people to sign petitions and holding discussions with anyone willing to lend an ear, Brown said.
"Ten years ago, the school tried to do this. Students got pissed off and rallied (to save the field)," Brown said. "We want to use the track. It is very important to our school. We were known as 'Speed City.' It was known as the place to come."
And that, ultimately, is what Brown said the club wants: for people to come.
Few students know about the efforts to save the field. Brown said this is because he only found out in April, though he said the city "has been talking about this for three years."
Nevertheless, Shauna Sherman, a junior justice studies major, said she is "kind of indifferent" to what they do with the field. She said she is one of those students who were unaware of the track and the proposed plans to build a sports complex. But, if she had to choose, she said she would "keep more of the history alive."
This track is where Tommie Smith and John Carlos used to train, as well as fellow Olympians Ray Norton and Robert Poynter, the SJSU Track and Field Web site stated.
Christian Mabalot, a freshman business marketing major, said he thought the school "shouldn't tear (the track) down."
"I just signed a petition for that," Mabalot said. "They're a lot of people who still want it standing. That is $14 million that can be used for something else."
That is what Brown would like to see happen.
"We want a multi-purpose facility," he said, speaking of a project that would make over the field and allow for other track and field sports.
"This is pretty much a trying time. Once it's gone, it's gone," Brown said.
The city of San Jose intends to construct the $14 million complex, which includes soccer fields and additional parking, on top of the Bud Winter Field. While the track and field team wants many things done to the track, the proposed deal is not among them.
"Originally, we were going to use the track," said senior kinesiology major William Brown, a track athlete, coach and co-founder of the SJSU Track and Field Club, which was founded in 2006. "But the track is old."
"There are holes in the track turf matting, and the plaque that commemorates the field to Bud Winter is slowly eroding away," the Track and Field Web site stated.
In an effort to sway the city from going along with its plan, the Track and Field Club has been informing students, asking people to sign petitions and holding discussions with anyone willing to lend an ear, Brown said.
"Ten years ago, the school tried to do this. Students got pissed off and rallied (to save the field)," Brown said. "We want to use the track. It is very important to our school. We were known as 'Speed City.' It was known as the place to come."
And that, ultimately, is what Brown said the club wants: for people to come.
Few students know about the efforts to save the field. Brown said this is because he only found out in April, though he said the city "has been talking about this for three years."
Nevertheless, Shauna Sherman, a junior justice studies major, said she is "kind of indifferent" to what they do with the field. She said she is one of those students who were unaware of the track and the proposed plans to build a sports complex. But, if she had to choose, she said she would "keep more of the history alive."
This track is where Tommie Smith and John Carlos used to train, as well as fellow Olympians Ray Norton and Robert Poynter, the SJSU Track and Field Web site stated.
Christian Mabalot, a freshman business marketing major, said he thought the school "shouldn't tear (the track) down."
"I just signed a petition for that," Mabalot said. "They're a lot of people who still want it standing. That is $14 million that can be used for something else."
That is what Brown would like to see happen.
"We want a multi-purpose facility," he said, speaking of a project that would make over the field and allow for other track and field sports.
"This is pretty much a trying time. Once it's gone, it's gone," Brown said.
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