Hold Kappa Alpha to high standards

I appreciate your editorial Thursday and I completely agree with your position. As President of Kappa Alpha Order I understand we need to prove ourselves to the University, the community and the national organization. We are working hard to be the Gentlemen our Order strives to build.

At our first Executive Committee meeting, the second order of business was to decide on our first philanthropy event — not a tailgate, not a mixer or even t-shirts. We are hosting a chicken stew in the Brickyard Nov. 10 and 11 (Veteran’s Day is the 11th). I hope everyone can attend and help raise some money for our Veterans.

Also, one of the first committees we set up was the philanthropy committee. The chair of that committee has been assigned the task of finding the group a service project one day every two weeks. We have discussed Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, soup kitchens and tutoring.

We take service very seriously and realize we have big shoes to fill on campus. However, we have big plans to repaint our image at N.C. State. I expect the students, Greek community, the University and even Technician to hold us to the highest standards. Kappa Alpha Order is a great organization and deserves no less from the brothers of the Alpha Omega Chapter.

Ches McDowell

sophomore, political science

Rethink turfgrass on Miller Field

Taylor Barbour made some good points on the benefits of using synthetic turf as opposed to natural grass, but a little more information may be useful before answering the question presented in his title.

While it is true that Miller Field does not drain well and is surrounded by trees, both these situations could be improved and keep natural grass. A synthetic surface would not necessarily be safer in the rain — although it would probably dry quicker. Also, one should not mention field safety without mentioning heat. On sunny days, a “Journal of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation” article has shown that temperatures can reach up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit higher on synthetic turf than natural grass. This is a significant safety issue worthy of discussion.

Taylor mentioned there would be less maintenance with a synthetic field. A task force put together by the National Sports Turf Managers Association addressed maintenance issues in its lengthy Nov. 2008 report. Based on its findings, a typical cost to maintain an average synthetic field was approximately $6,000 per year in material costs (not including equipment) and requires 375 man-hours per year to maintain.

The primary cultural practice for a synthetic surface is grooming. To maintain a uniform surface with an infill system the field will need to be swept and dragged on a regular basis. Depending on use, this may be required once a week to once a month. It is important to follow manufacturer’s recommendation on grooming because it can cause excessive wear and inappropriate grooming may void your warranty.

Infill material (required with new synthetic turfs) will also need to be added on an annual basis. A field will need 1 to 7 tons of rubber added yearly. Topdressing equipment will be necessary in the reapplication of crumb rubber. Vacuums and leaf blowers can be helpful to remove some debris (sunflower seeds and peanut shells, for example), but in many cases, debris may need to be removed by hand since these implements may also remove or move infill.

The most common post installation service needed is due to seam failure. Seam failure not only can worsen quickly with use, it can also result in athlete injures — timely repair is essential. Someone trained to use special adhesives and application equipment as well as a sewing kit will be necessary. If lines are not permanently sewn into the field, markings will need to be painted. With an outdoor field, the lines may need to be painted several times a year.

Taylor mentioned synthetic fields require just a “one time fee”. Current suggestions say to budget approximately $8.00 per square foot for the disposal and resurfacing of a synthetic field after about 10 years of use.

While Super Bowls and BCS Championship games have been played on synthetic turfgrass, it should be pointed out that all BCS bowls except the Sugar Bowl are played on natural grass. The top six teams in the final 2009 BCS standings all play on natural grass. Only a quarter of the final top 25 teams in 2009 played on synthetic turf. Also, since the Bowl Championship Series was formed, all 11 national champions played their home games on natural grass. Nine of the 11 teams play on Bermuda grass, which is the same as Miller Field (also the same as Carter-Finley Stadium).

Of course there are very strong arguments for using synthetic turfgrass — the strongest being its need for indoor stadiums. But the debate should be approached with more than just conjecture.

Grady Miller

professor, turfgrass science