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Volu me 105 Issue 86
UH Mā Mānoa to build rock-climbing wall NEWS DESK
NICK KAM / KA LEO O HAWAI‘I
This lowly rock wall off Dole Street is slated to be chiseled into a glorious climbing facility for the enjoyment of UH students.
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Rock climbers, rejoice: The university has received a $250,000 grant to transform the area adjacent to the Dole Street parking structure into a rock-climbing wall. “We’re ecstatic,” said UHM Climbing Coalition president Caroline Lopez. “We’ve lobbied for years for such a project.” The Outdoor Enthusiasts, a national nonprofit organization committed to combating obesity in young people, selected UH Mānoa’s proposal from among hundreds of collegiate entries. The contest invited universities across the country to submit one proposal for an outdoor sports and recreation project that would demonstrably increase student health and fitness. The university taskforce in charge of selecting and submitting the university’s official entry considered proposals from 16 UHM student groups. The Climbing Coalition’s unique, four-minute-video entry utilized interpretive dance and yogic chanting to indicate why the university would benefit from a rockclimbing wall. The university task force approved the video unanimously. “We hope that the outdoor climbing wall will encourage and promote a healthier lifestyle for all students,” said an unnamed university representative who was not authorized to speak to the media.
“Plus, it will be a great way to relieve stress during midterms and fi nals.” The proposal selection process is not without controversy. Several student groups have criticized the grant process as biased and unfair. “We petitioned for the construction of an on-campus wave machine, but the university refused to consider our request,” said Stoked Surfers president Emma Chang. “If there are no waves in town, particularly during the fall and winter months, then the only way I can get action is by driving to the North Shore. This is not only hugely inconvenient, but it’s not very environmentally friendly either,” she said. Other members of Stoked Surfers also expressed concerns that the prevalence of O‘ahu surfi ng beaches caused their project to be eliminated from contention. “Just because there’s tons of places to surf here doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have a wave machine on campus,” said freshman Bryson Jones. “I’m from South Dakota, and only just learning how to surf. It’s not like I can just get out in the water and compete with people who have been surfi ng their whole lives. An on-campus wave machine would’ve let me practice surfi ng in a safe, controlled environment.” Winter sports enthusiasts also felt excluded from the project. “The university should have submitted our proposal for a snow machine,” stated avid snowboarder
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Scooter Takushi. “A rock-climbing wall benefits only people who are interested in rock climbing. A snow machine could be used for all kinds of winter sports like snowboarding, skiing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing,” he continued. University officials allegedly rejected the snow machine proposal because the projected cost would have far exceeded $250,000. Takushi dismissed the university’s reasoning. “A snow machine would have paid for itself. You could charge students and people from outside the school for entry,” he said. “It would also remedy the environmental injustice caused by Hawai‘i’s tropical climate. If I want to snowboard, I now have to wait until winter break and fly to the continent.” University offi cials stand by their decision, citing the Climbing Coalition’s win as evidence that they made the right decision. “We considered all proposals equally, but felt that a wave or snowmaking machine were not feasible projects,” said a university offi cial. “Just because the Outdoor Enthusiasts selected the Climbing Coalition’s proposal doesn’t mean that they would have automatically selected any proposal that UH Mānoa put forth. It is very likely they would have rejected a wave-making or snow-making machine for a university that’s located on an island.” Construction on the wall will begin this summer, with an expected completion date of December 1.
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