For students living on campus, playing sports outside will no longer have to end when the sun goes down.
Lights will soon be implemented on the Newing co-rec field thanks to an annual grant from Binghamton University’s Residential Life. Each year, ResLife helps area governments fund various community improvement efforts. According to Newing College Council (NCC) president Andrew Genussa, a forum was conducted during a Newing College Council (NCC) meeting where members voted on how best to use the money. The lights were chosen as the best option from an array of suggestions, ranging from swings to an art project.
The co-rec field, located between the Bingham, Broome and Delaware residential halls, opened as part of Newing College’s renovation in 2011 and has since been used for co-rec games and student enjoyment. Until now, activities had to be stopped when it got dark out, but according to Genussa this will no longer be the case. The lights will be designed to provide the optimal amount of light on the field without shining into the bedrooms of the community.
“We wanted to be able to host co-rec games for football and soccer at night,” Genussa said.
James Brice, the assistant director of residential operations, said that although plans are still in the early stages, the lights will be placed on poles around the field instead of being fixed onto the buildings. Another part of the initial plan is to set up the lights so that they can be activated from the resident assistant offices in Broome, Bingham or Delaware, and work on a timer that shuts them off automatically.
“This is a feature that is important for energy saving,” Brice wrote in an email. “This plan is purely conceptual and will develop further as the design for the project is put together.”
According to Newing College Assistant Director of Residential Life Deana Kalcich, these lights will also help students avoid accidents.
“As far as student safety, playing on the field in low light conditions is a safety hazard,” Kalcich wrote in an email. “So the lights would significantly increase the safety of activities in Newing after dark.”
Former Newing resident Eileen O’Hara, a junior majoring in chemistry, said she hoped the lights would lead to more late-night outdoor activities organized by Newing College. She also said she had never seen many people outside after dark, and said the new lights may change this and build a stronger sense of community.
“I think if people were walking by the field at night and saw the lights on, they would be more willing to stay out there,” O’Hara said. “I don’t see how they can be a bad thing.”