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What is going on at the mall?

TO THE DAILY:

What is going on? Monday (3/18/96) or Tuesday (3/19/96) this week, I started seeing the grounds crew busy all over the place. They were raking, sweeping, digging, spreading mulch, etc. Spring seemed to be arriving.

Alright!

But, as I passed by the Natural Science Museum entrance near the School of Dentistry, I noticed a grounds crew working in the circle near the entrance. It looked as though they were digging up a very healthy green shrub. When I returned within 45 minutes, all the shrubs within the circle were gone. In their place was a layer of mulch. What was the matter with these shrubs? As I said, they were a very healthy green, not the dead green of most of the grass around campus. Nor did they appear to be dead or even sick. They weren't even that brownish green that many of the evergreens are this time of year. It was a waste -- of resources, time, money and plant life.

I would like to know why this was done and how much it cost? Is this part of the greater plan for this campus, such as using non-native species for the pedestrian mall on East U.?

ROBERT WELCHER

RACKHAM STUDENT