I wish to protest the totally unneccessary chemical spraying of Saint MaryÕs lawns on Wednesday, April 26. A friend and I walk to school together, along the old railroad track and across the fields at Saint MaryÕs. Walking home on Tuesday, we breathed in delicious, health-giving air laden with the scent of blossoming cherries and just-opening lilacs. Returning on Wednesday morning, we were nearly choked and entered Madaleva coughing. We were unable to walk on any grass for fear of poison Ñ but had to stick to the pavement. As we approached we saw a man actually spraying the chemicals. He had no mask or protection of any kind.

On private lawns, it is the custom for the spraying company to put up little warning signs to keep people and pets off the lawn until the poison has dried or supposedly become less virulent. No such signs appeared at Saint MaryÕs. On April 27, the air still reeked of chemicals, but I have seen sun-bathing students Ñ and even some classes Ñ sitting outside on the sprayed lawns.

Saint MaryÕs has been remiss in failing to protect its faculty, students and staff Ñ especially the grounds staff. But it has also been uncaring about the other living creatures on campus. Spraying lawns promotes the collapse of biological diversity. As part of its Fall 1999 Landscape project, Saint MaryÕs Library sponsored a photographic exhibit on lawns called ÒCrush ZoneÓ by Perry Kirk. Kirk described the disastrous results of pesticide run-off from the Mississippi River: crustaceans and other ocean life are suffocated by the algae bloom caused by the chemical run-off. Every year, a greater area of the Gulf of Mexico is affected. The College also sponsored a lecture by ecologist Professor Holly Great-Bear Tibbets, who had excellent advice to offer Saint MaryÕs about ecological matters. The College sponsors these events but then ignores their message.

At present, there are signs up at Saint MaryÕs urging ecological awareness in honor of Earth Week. The students do their best to promote recycling and other ecological efforts, but they can do very little while the College still pursues such an irresponsible, short-sighted policy.

Rosalind Clark

Associate Professor of English

Saint MaryÕs College

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