It has unfortunately reached that time of year again when allergies can not be avoided, especially here in the city of Newport News. Spring is one of the best times of year, because it starts to get warmer and stays lighter for a longer time. However, in order to have warmer weather and longer nights, we first have to endure the dreaded allergy season. CNU is best known for its beautiful horticulture – a campus with trees, flowers, and very green grass. However, are these plants harming the students and making the campus uncomfortable for the masses? All of the flowers throughout campus may be gorgeous, but they also create loads of pollen. Don’t believe me? I bet if you check the bottom of your shoe there is a hint of yellow tint. If not, simply walk out to the plaza where it is sprinkled all over the ground.
Pollen not only causes students to be constantly sick with allergy symptoms, but the allergy medicine is not cheap. Personally, I do not have the funds to buy boxes and boxes of allergy medicine in order to make myself feel better when I go outside. It should not be a trade-off between feeling normal and spending money on allergy medicine. Why should students suffer when the amount of pollen in the air is out of their control? However, it is not out of the university’s control. Yes, pollen is everywhere and will get all over your car and the parking lot, but the real question is can we limit the amount of pollen in the center of campus?
The university should take into consideration the students’ thoughts when selecting the horticulture around campus. Not saying that the groundskeepers here on campus are not doing a fabulous job, however, they should consider planting hypoallergenic flowers, like dioecious plants. Depending on the type, dioecious plants either produce little to no pollen or produce sticky pollen that doesn’t disperse into the air. By planting hypoallergenic plants, we have the chance to minimize pollen and allergies while not giving up the desired campus aesthetics. Hypoallergenic plants such as Irises, Large-Flowered Pelargonium, Petunia, carnations and so many more are just as beautiful as pollen-producing plants.
Replacing the plants in the center of the campus with any or all of these special plants could potentially make students feel more comfortable on campus during this season. Reducing pollen could potentially help students to feel more comfortable, especially with final exams right around the corner. Trust me, no one wants to be sniffling and sneezing when in a dead silent room trying to take an exam.
