Staff Editoral
The once beautiful and serene Koi pond located behind the runner Cafe has fallen into a state of neglect and ruin.
The clear water has now turned so murky and algae-filled that the koi are barely visible at the surface. The sand filter housing has begun to rust around the edges, creating a possible safety hazard.
It’s hard to tell how many turtles and koi still live in the swamp-like pond and Campus Facilities does not keep record of what or how many fish are turtles live in the pond.
Students who frequent the pond have expressed their disappointment over it’s current state.
Jose Cervantes, a history major, said, “I really liked coming over here to study but now it just looks nasty. You can’t even see the orange fish until they’re literally on the surface.”
The campus facility stated that the pain was last drained and cleaned 3 years ago, but they are making plans to clean the pond this summer.
The sand filter is currently broken in the facilities department is still “procuring quotes for its replacement.”
A possible reason why the koi pond has become an algae pond maybe because of the new construction and maintenance the rest of the campus requires.
With new buildings and lawns to maintain, the secluded pond could be easily forgotten.
Ashlynn Adams, an English major, said, “I didn’t even know (CSUB) had a koi pond. There doesn’t look like there’s anything over there but the dried out stream.”
However, there is no justifiable reason for the koi pond being forgotten. Especially with its proximity to Alumni Park, Walter Stiern Library and the Student Union.
These locations frequently host large events for community members and students. Community members who come to these events may walk the surrounding grounds and see the small, dirty pond.
Is this the image CSUB wants to present to the public: new buildings and abandoned, decaying ponds?
During the celebrate CSUB event, on April 28th, community members and incoming students tour the campus and some saw the koi pond.
Incoming freshman Valley Garcia said, “Everything else on campus looks so pretty and up-kept, so I’m surprised the pond looks like this.”
No location on campus, with living creatures in it, should fall into disrepair that jeopardize their safety.
The campus should view the upkeep of the koi pond as a mental health project for students who use a secluded and calm pond to relax and study at.
The campus focuses on bringing in new things to help student health, but they should focus on what students already use for mental health.
