By Brenna Eller
Opinion Page Editor

Whether you’re walking through campus, on your way to the Sports Arena, or taking the scenic route by the pond and fountain area, you surely pass by the tennis courts. A lot of students even walk through the tennis courts as a short cut to get to the parking lot, or their next class.

In the third edition of this year’s The Hutchinson Collegian, there was a “Campus Beat” asking Hutchinson Community College students whether they should take out the tennis courts or restore them to a better playing condition. Most answered, “remove the courts” versus restore them, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t people on the other side who would like the courts restored to their original form.

Don Rose, HutchCC’s Director of Faculties, explained how the courts had to be reduced to make room for the water fountain to the south and the garden to the west. He said that since the water is in constant movement and never runs out, there is higher maintenance in that area and less focus on the tennis courts.

When HutchCC had men’s and women’s tennis, the courts were being continuously repaired, but the expenses of restoring the courts are high.

“If I were to spend some money to get cracks filled and fix the courts up to a better condition, it would cost about $5,000 per court,” Rose said.

According to tennisround.com, there were a total of ten tennis courts in 2010. Now the courts have dropped to five in the last seven years. There is currently not a tennis team at HutchCC, but that doesn’t make this area completely useless.

Rose gave some examples of uses for the courts today. Every year or so, there is a dodgeball competition on one of the courts, where they take down one of the nets and let them play on that court, and afterwards they put the net back.

“The baseball team also uses the tennis courts for throwing,” Rose said.

HutchCC President Carter File is also in charge of this decision regarding the courts and said, “As of now, there are no concrete plans for the tennis courts.”

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