Ahead of Renewal, Students Petition for Lowell's Climbing Wall

When Lowell House becomes the fifth residence to undergo construction as part of Harvard’s House renewal project, the neo-Georgian building will almost certainly feature new floor plans, elevators, and enhanced common spaces.

What is less certain, however, is whether it will still feature a rock climbing wall.

For nearly a decade, Lowell’s basement has housed the Lowell Bouldering Wall, a central hub for the College’s club climbing team and mountaineering club. Now, in advance of the House’s renovation, hundreds of students have signed a petition calling for it to still exist at the conclusion of construction in 2018.

A member of the Harvard Mountaineering Club practices rock climbing on the Lowell Bouldering Wall on Tuesday evening. The club hopes that the wall will not be demolished during the House’s renovation in 2017-2018. By Isabella S. Beroutsos

The movement, which has already amassed 690 signatures and was organized by a group of students who staff the wall, comes as administrators hold preliminary discussions about construction plans to prepare for renewal beginning in 2017.

So far, through renewal of Quincy’s Stone Hall, Leverett’s McKinlock Hall, and most recently all of Dunster House, administrators have focused on rethinking common spaces to revitalize House life. That’s meant dramatic changes to House basements, and a move away from private spaces like in-suite bathrooms.

House renewal, a major capital campaign priority, is expected to cost more than $1 billion overall, and the planning process for each project is extensive. Harvard has not yet released detailed plans for Lowell, and according to House Master Diana L. Eck, administrators have not yet made a decision about the future of the wall in their discussions with architects. It will be a matter of discussion as Lowell moves forward with the project, she wrote in an email.

In the meantime, a vocal group of students is making it clear that they want the popular wall, a unique part of Lowell, to stay. According to William H. Bloxham ’17, the wall manager who helped organize the petition, more than 400 people use it every semester, and it fosters a sense of community among climbers.

“A lot of climbers are down there for four, five, or six nights a week, either to get better at climbing, get some exercise, or hang out with people,” Bloxham said. “It really kind of brings the climbing community at Harvard together.”

Cody He ’16, a member of Harvard’s club climbing team, agreed, saying that the wall is not only a stepping stone to become seriously involved in the sport of climbing—it is also a space for community.

“The climbing wall is really a place open for everyone and there’s kind of community around it,” He said. “It’s a place where you can meet people, climb hard, and hang out.”

Kevin Parker ’16, the club climbing team’s captain, described the climbing wall as “a big part of Lowell” and posited that through construction administrators could do more than preserve the space—they could extend it and integrate it into Harvard’s athletic facilities.

Organizers plan to send the petition, along with a letter further detailing arguments in favor of keeping the wall, to various administrators next week, according to Bloxham.

—Staff writer R. Blake Paterson can be reached at blake.paterson@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @BlakePat95.