No reason to head south: Making Rams Head Plaza another Pit is a lot harder than it might seem at ?rst

Campus leaders should reconsider pushing Rams Head Plaza as a new Pit.

It’s good to announce a plan and to think about the future, but it’s going to take a lot more work than it seems.

Many students on South Campus would welcome the idea of a Pit-like place near their homes.

Activities in the area are pretty hard to come by, unless they’re run by the Resident Hall Association or a student group.

The problem is that the Pit is going to be difficult to emulate.

Some benches, a Starbucks and a few annual events in the plaza don’t cut it now, and they won’t in the future.

And there’s a reason the Pit is at the center of campus life.

It’s between Franklin Street and South Campus, and it’s near some of the University’s most important student buildings.

In short, it’s perfect for student gatherings.

Meanwhile, Rams Head Plaza is surrounded by the Student Academic Services Buildings, a dining hall, a gym, some dorms and a mini-mart.

It’s not a bad place. It’s just a little boring.

The plaza isn’t used for mass gatherings often, and there isn’t much incentive for students to go there other than to eat or work out.

Yes, creating a place like the Pit in the area would change that, but it’s not going to be easy. Small changes simply aren’t going to make it a campus hot spot.

Such a transformation will require a major shift in the makeup of South Campus.

To truly create a “Pit” on South Campus, there needs to be large investment in new buildings and services that naturally draw students to the area.

That’s what makes the Pit unique — so many student-used buildings surround it.

Student government shouldn’t abandon the idea of creating a South Campus gathering place.

But simply holding a few events down there just isn’t going to cut it.