As I walk through campus I love to see students lounging on lush green grass with their textbooks, relaxing in the sun, picnicking or sitting on the lawn with friends in between classes.

Students also use the green spaces on campus for playing hacky sack, throwing a Frisbee or playing a pickup game of soccer.­ Flag football, kickball or softball are also popular choices for students.

Recreational activities like these are important for social connection, they relieve stress, increase productivity and in general increase the college experience -”” after all, it’s impossible not to feel like a college student while playing Ultimate Frisbee.

The primary location for these activities and the only maintained recreational field space on campus, the fields south of the south gym near University Courtyard, is being fenced in and padlocked.­ This space is no longer available for free student use.

It seems the field is being gated and locked in an effort to maintain the grass and preserve the space as a teaching area for kinesiology classes.­ The grass on this field goes dormant in the winter. If treated properly, this is not a problem, and the grass should return in the spring creating a nice green field.

However, when it rains or the field becomes muddy and students use the field, the grass roots are pulled up and the grass cannot grow back in the spring.­ In addition, the use of the field when it is not dry leaves holes, dents and divots in the field causing an uneven playing surface that could be potentially dangerous to kinesiology students who use that field for class.

While these seem like valid concerns, our fear is that fencing in the field space will have negative side effects for students and result in a severe decrease in access to recreational space for our general student body. Club sports like rugby and soccer use the field to practice their sports and play games. Fresno State’s Greek community uses the field to host fundraisers for philanthropic events, and dorm residents often use that space for recreational activities.

While there was some discussion the space could be reserved, the reserving entity would have to be a recognized student club, rendering the field unavailable to dorm residents and students for leisure activities.­ Even club sports and organizations that could reserve the field might find their access greatly decreased, as kinesiology and intramurals would have priority over these groups.

Another issue we see with the fence is that it encompasses the outdoor basketball courts.­ It seems to us the issue of preserving the grass does not apply to our concrete basketball courts, and at the very least those should be available to the general student population at all times.

Lastly, if I may lament… a field is simply no longer a field if a fence surrounds it. ­ The point of a green space is that remains open, free and accessible.­ Also, that it is available for recreational use, and a fence prevents all of these things. A fence tells students they are not welcome, and they may not use the space freely on their own campus.­ A fence tells students, “this place is not for you.” This is not the message we should be sending our students.

Associated Students, Inc. is interested in opportunities for recreational green space use and increased access for students.­ We are, as you might have gathered from this column, particularly interested in the uses of the designated kinesiology field.­ Please feel free to share your questions, suggestions and opinions with us on our Facebook page via email or in person at the ASI office. We would love to hear from you on this issue.