Forum | Staff Editorials
Staff Editorial: Goodbye, Mudd Field
To many, it took a few days after returning from Winter Break to register that something was missing from Mudd Field: multiple beautiful, tall trees whose shade we lounged under just a few months before.
After the 2025 Commencement, Mudd will officially close down for construction, adding to the pre-existing noise and the obstacle course of maneuvering around the construction site of Riney Hall. Planned renovations include the addition of a few pathways across the field, many more trees, and better lighting during the night.
Amidst plans for major changes to this campus cultural touchstone, students have received minimal information about the approaching construction. The only notice has been an email from The Record sent to the student body mentioning the “Mudd Field makeover,” an email that went to several students’ spam folders.
Most WashU students probably have at least a couple of memories of lounging on a picnic blanket with friends, kicking around a soccer ball, or tossing a frisbee on the green space. Many have also attended events on the field, like the Fall Activities Fair and Art Mart, which contribute to community engagement and a lively campus atmosphere. Brookings Quadrangle used to function like Mudd Field does today, hosting Spring WILD among other quintessential WashU programming. Mudd became the primary community gathering space because it’s a larger, more central area.
Bottom line, it’s kind of heartbreaking to imagine all of these events moved into the basement of the Athletic Complex, a way smaller field like the Swamp, or eradicated completely. Nothing truly replaces the centerpiece of the Danforth Campus.
With such fondness in mind, the three-year period of construction is daunting. Those memories of last fall will likely be the last memories any current sophomores or juniors have on Mudd; even current first-years will only have one semester with the newly-renovated field. Not only will construction eliminate a relaxing gathering space for the student population, but it will undoubtedly cause a mess and ruckus right in the center of campus. For the next three years, get excited as the view of our beautiful Mudd Field turns into a true mud field.
Students need time and information in order to prepare for changes they have no say in. Major changes like these will undoubtedly affect students’ daily life. Path blockages exacerbate rushed transitions between classes, and the noise of machinery and loss of campus green space has the potential to raise stress levels at the University.
Students with disabilities already struggle to navigate a largely inaccessible campus. Incoming students with disabilities may have to incorporate this construction project into their decision to come to WashU. This is all compounded by the fact that most current students will graduate before the finished project is available for them to enjoy and benefit from.
In WashU’s own words, “Mudd Field is an essential part of the WashU student experience.” But for the next three years, the heart of campus will be reduced to yet another inaccessible pile of dirt.
The Student Life Editorial Board calls upon WashU to more publically provide further information so that students can properly plan and prepare for the incoming Mudd Field construction project. Additional information should include what changes to expect in the coming years as well as plans for accessibility and alternative accommodations during the years of construction.
Staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of our Editorial Board members. The Editorial Board operates independently of our newsroom and includes members of the senior staff.
River Alsalihi | Junior Forum Editor
Jordan Spector | Managing Forum Editor
Laurel Wang | Senior Scene Editor
Nina Giraldo | Editor-in-Chief
Avi Holzman | Editor-in-Chief
Alice Gottesman | Managing Scene Editor
Kate Theerman Rodriguez | Junior Forum Editor
Quinn Moore | Managing Newsletter Editor
Elizabeth Grieve | Senior Scene Editor
William Fieni-Thies | Junior Forum Editor
Kate Westfall | Design Editor
Lewis Rand | Managing Sports Editor
Ava Giere | Copy Editor
Sydney Tran | Head of Design