Dear Athens Post,
My name is Phoebe Durst, and I am a first-year student here at Ohio University. I am writing to you as a concerned student part of OU culture. Fest season is something that OU is known for, and the cancellation of Palmer Place fest is a threat to the importance of Bobcat life.
While I do understand the safety implication of the event, OU is losing the importance of our history. There is a reason alum always come back, and while I understand the Fest’s are not the only reason for this, they do play a part. Fest season was something I heard about from my brothers, who are alumni and family friends. This increased my curiosity and impacted my choice to come to OU.
The faculty and the city are so concerned with all the possible negatives concerning fests, they are losing sight of how important these times are for students. For the seniors, who will not be able to walk from their college house to something that has become tradition for one last time. Or for someone like me, who is a first-year student, will not be able to understand the whole experience of Ohio University without Palmer Place Fest.
The memories that can be created, traditions and history are all supposed to be important to Ohio University’s culture, however they are trying to erase a big part of it. Palmer Place fest should continue, because without it, OU is just another plain college.
