Making IU beautiful

Dave Hurst has kept a file of thank you notes close to his desk for the past 11 years. But they aren't for scholarship recommendations, although he has written his share. The file makes for a remarkable history album of IU's development. The thank you notes are from faculty, staff, students and parents writing to thank Hurst and his colleagues for a beautiful campus.\nAs Campus Division Manager, Hurst is part of an on-going effort to keep the campus aesthetically pleasing to the eyes of visitors and residents. \nIn 1991, Thomas Gaines compiled a list of 100 campuses and evaluated them for urban space, the quality of architecture, landscaping and overall visual and physical appeal. IU was fifth on the list only after Stanford, Princeton, Wellesley and Colorado universities.\nBut keeping the campus beautiful is not the only task for the Campus Division.\n"We're in charge of all campus grounds except for the athletic facilities," Hurst said.\nWhatever happens on campus, the division knows. \nDIVIDE AND CONQUER\nThe IU campus spans more than 2,000 acres, with a crew of 35 to 50 groundskeepers concentrating on a central 300 acres that have become one of IU's many claims to fame. Hurst said the crews used to consist of around 60 to 65 people. But budget cuts and the 24-7 aspect of the job have diminished the number of crew members, leaving the remaining crews covering a large amount of acreage.\n"We could use more people, but we make do," Hurst said. "Every department on campus feels that way, I think."\nHurst and his colleagues have divided the campus into four quadrants. Each quadrant has its own crew to take care of planting, cleaning, mowing and repairs. In addition, a crew of certified arborists also calls Campus Division home. A construction crew to take care of all outdoor construction and a plant nursery crew to take care of the seedlings complete the roster. \nThe crews take care of trees: removing dry branches and fallen trees as well as planting new ones.\nEach grounds crew is equipped to deal with a diverse range of situations -- from planting flowers and setting up hanging baskets to cleaning up snow, fallen trees and ice. \n"We have the equipment a small town this size would have," Hurst said. "We can deal with everything that comes our way."\nThe crews also cooperate with other divisions of the department of the Physical Plant. If the Utilities Division needs to dig, the Campus Division has the equipment -- a large backhoe. Campus buildings managers also call on the Campus Division in time of need -- to help install window panes on top floors, build a new garden around the building or help clean up ice on the roofs. \nThe Division also helps preserve campus memory -- Hurst and his colleagues built a plaza honoring Herman B Wells between Owen and Maxwell Halls in 2000. \nFLOWERS AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE\nGroundskeepers began planting annual flowers Monday. First, the crews are concentrating on the upcoming commencement ceremonies -- planting flowers around Memorial Stadium, the Indiana Memorial Union and other prominent places on campus. Commencement begins a nearly six-week planting season that includes planting flowers that will last through early fall. \n"We want to make sure the campus looks as nice as possible for commencement," Hurst said. \nAround the campus, tulips and daffodils have been in full bloom, but they are dying out right now. The tulips have been in the ground since Thanksgiving. The bulbs are genetically altered so three varieties of tulips look exactly the same but grow differently. Early, middle and late-bloom tulips mix to create a constant growth of new flowers during most of April. \nThe flowers now at the nursery on the north side of campus are ready to be planted. It takes anywhere from four to six weeks to plant more than 30,000 annuals, including vinca, salvia, wave petunias, pansies and hanging baskets of geraniums. The color scheme changes, but the flowers have remained the same throughout the past several years, said nursery supervisor Carl Scott. This summer's color scheme includes a range of red and cream tones to go along with IU's recent change in school colors. The pansies add a touch of blue and yellow to the red tulips. \n"We like to stay with what everybody likes," Scott said. "These varieties work well for the conditions we have."\nIn the fall, the work isn't done. In fact, it's just beginning. Crews will have to till the tulip beds to prepare them for the Thanksgiving bulb planting. And mums that have been growing near the greenhouses will have to be planted. These will last through the early frost. \nWORKING FOR THE STUDENTS \nTwo weeks before the students come back, crews will be back on campus working hard to make it even more attractive to students and parents. \nAfter the summer, students will see some changes on campus. Hurst said crews are in the process of rebuilding the sunken garden on the southeastern side of the IMU, facing the Chemistry building. The garden will be ready for the fall with flowers adorning the corner of the Union. Hurst said groundskeepers will plant some wave petunias, which will wind onto the Union wall and maybe even survive the winter. \nWATER, AIR, SOIL … AND TRASH?\nAs Mark Twain once said, Indiana weather changes every 10 minutes. Campus Division must learn to cope with the diverse effects of weather -- whether dry and humid or cold and windy. The trained gardeners can identify problem areas. \nGetting rid of weeds and watering the plants in the summer are among the top priorities for the season. \n"We've created our own monster," Hurst said. "Water and fertilizer make weeds grow too."\nWeed whipping is the priority task in the summer. Hurst's division even hires some students who help with the task. Hurst said the summer employees like the work because it's outside. \nBecause the campus isn't as populated and busy in the summer, Campus Division employees have a better chance to take care of problematic areas as they appear. \nPlant and soil disease is another threat to the beauty of the campus. This year, the soil in the shipment of geraniums was suspected of having disease. Nursery workers quarantined the entire shipment for two weeks to make sure the soil was not contaminated. \nBut if you ask Hurst, the Campus Division manager, the biggest challenge to his job isn't the weeds, the inclement weather or budget cuts. He says his biggest challenge is the trails of trash that lead to the residence hall food courts. With students on the go, Hurst said he sees a tendency not to dispose of trash properly. \nOn the other hand, taking care of the campus has been a rewarding experience for Hurst and his colleagues. Despite the occasional middle-of-the-night phone call asking to remove a fallen branch or clean up snow, the thank you notes Hurst keeps remind him and his colleagues of the reason they work so hard.\n"It's very gratifying for me to know that our guys have kept this campus so beautiful," Hurst said. "I'm very proud of keeping the campus beautiful for all occasions"