To the editor:

Long ago, Kansas University and the residents of Lawrence had a reciprocal relationship. The university facilities opened to public use regularly.

I remember firework shows in Memorial Stadium. I remember an all-day concert called “Day on the Hill.” In return, the community supported the university. Unfortunately, those days have been dwindling over the last several years. However, there has always been an olive branch of connection between the general population and the university. KU has allowed Dog Days, the community exercise program, to meet daily at Memorial Stadium and use the facility to promote health and fitness within the population.

But Thursday it was announced that those days also have ended, and the Dog Days participants have been literally locked out of Memorial Stadium. Where the university could have taken the opportunity to promote its affiliation with, and support of, a one-of-a-kind community fitness program, that promotes physical health and wellness in a time of growing levels of obesity and other health problems related to people not getting enough exercise, they have instead closed another door and pushed the community even further away.

As a 25-year resident of Lawrence, I was greatly saddened by this development. As a current student, I would like to know my school’s reason behind this decision. I hope Dog Days will continue to flourish, though without a facility large enough to house the program, it will be difficult. But Dog Days teaches endurance, and we will endure this too.

Kevin Colson,

Lawrence