On a bright, sunny afternoon, advertising sophomore Heather Golden sits on a bench in the South Oval eating her lunch. After taking her economics exam, she enjoys her sandwich surrounded by colorful flowers and lush greenery.
The seven endowed gardens around OU's main campus are among the few areas on campus unaffected by budget cuts.
The gardens are financially self-sustaining thanks to private donors, said Julie Cohen, director of landscape and grounds. She said the gardens are maintained by the interest accumulated from donations made to the OU Foundation.
A two-thirds-of-a-million-dollar endowment funds the Pitman Garden on the South Oval, the largest of OU's endowed gardens. Cohen said the interest on most endowments is about 4 to 5 percent.
However, the flowers did not escape economic problems altogether. In order to compensate for drops in interest rates, perennials were planted instead of annual plants, since the perennials will grow back the following seasons. Annuals must be planted every season.
Cohen said each of the endowments was given specifically for these gardens, and their upkeep comes at no cost to students.
"That makes the flowers smell even better," English senior Jessica Barney said. She also said she thinks OU has one of the prettiest campuses in the Big 12.
Golden enjoys relaxing among the flora on the South Oval.
"After all the stress of classes and stuff, it's just a serene way to escape for a minute and forget about school," she said.
Philosophy junior Zac Troutt said he too enjoys relaxing in the South Oval. His shoes slipped off his feet as he reclined in a wooden chair.
"It's a comfortable environment to learn," he said.
Cohen said a beautiful campus is important to OU. She said many incoming freshmen listed the attractive campus as a factor when they chose to attend OU.
"It's incredibly important for recruitment," she said. "It just does a lot for the way people feel about this campus."
History senior Joseph McClendon reads while lying with his head propped against a shady tree.
"I wouldn't want to go to a school on a dirty campus," he said. "You associate finer learning with a beautiful campus."
hello there & you too