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A preliminary artist’s rendering depicts a dual gate that may be added at the east entrance to the drill field on the UNG campus. The gate will be largely ceremonial, however, as the area is expected to remain open to the public except during corps activities.
By Keith Murden & Sarah Steed / The Nugget ------------ During a presentation at the recent Military Officer’s Association of America conference hosted by the University of North Georgia, President Michael Shannon alluded to some big changes in the works for the William J. “Lipp” Livsey Drill Field.
A significant renovation of the drill field is one of the seven “big bets” that comprise the new president’s October white paper, in which he outlined bold new strategies for UNG “to meet the needs of its students, communities, the state and the nation.”
Other pillars of Shannon’s white paper include the construction of a new Wynne-Mathews Military Science Center for the Corps of Cadets and the introduction of new military leadership and fitness programs, with the goal of growing the corps to 1,000 students.
Shannon showed an artist rendering of a gated ceremonial plaza at one entrance to the drill field, and told the MOAA members in attendance that “the gates will be locked and will only be opened when our cadets are marching onto it.”
With some students expressing concerns that their access to the drill field could be limited, The Nugget reached out for clarification on the impact the proposed changes could have on policy going forward.
HIGHLIGHTING HISTORY
Greg Hudgison, Associate Vice President of Communications and Marketing for UNG, told The Nugget that the president’s infrastructure plan emphasizes “the historic significance of the drill field at the center of the Dahlonega Campus.”
Shannon alluded to the symbolic significance of the drill field himself during his September speech at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new military science center.
“The Corps of the future is destined to leap ahead of the other Senior Military Colleges,” Shannon declared at the time.
Shannon said that UNG, as the only all-army Senior Military College, is positioned as the “aspirational peer” to the prestigious West Point Military Academy in New York.
He indicated that his goal is to make a visit to the Livsey Drill Field every bit as iconic and emotionally impactful as seeing The Plain at West Point in person.
“Today I’m announcing that we will create the same iconic moment here at UNG by transforming this drill field where thousands of Americans across generations have trained and readied themselves … into a symbol of American leadership,” Shannon said at the ceremony.
Hudgison indicated that there are actually two gates in Shannon’s proposal.
“To spotlight the facility, the university plans new ceremonial entrances to the drill field with proposed gateways at the east and west ends of the field in a similar architectural style of the current review stand area,” Hudgison explained.
Artist renderings of the east gate depict a red brick plaza with a large iron gate, with smaller open archways on either side.
Hudgison emphasized that the architectural designs are preliminary. As a result, he said there are no cost projections for the drill field improvements at this time.
“The final designs and construction schedule will be determined at a later date,” he added.
STUDENT IMPACT
When asked if the president’s new vision for the drill field would involve relocating traditional annual events like the Spring and Fall Jams or the Fourth of July fireworks show, Hudgison said he did not expect that to happen.
“Considering the major role the university and the drill field play in contributing to the life of the community, we don’t anticipate any major impact to community events that have been previously hosted on the drill field,” he told The Nugget.
At the same time, Hudgison did not entirely rule out the possibility of venue changes for future events.
“Because we now have intramural fields available near our athletic complex, some student events may be better held there than on the drill field, and those considerations are ongoing,” he said.
As for the university’s overall policy on student access to the drill field, Hudgison had no changes to announce at present.
“There is no current or planned ban on civilian foot traffic on campus or the drill field, but access may be limited during official events, such as Corps of Cadets reviews, which the public is always invited to attend.”
That news will likely come as a relief to those students who enjoy using the drill field for outdoor recreation and fellowship between classes.
Cadet David Collins said he thinks the new additions to the drill field will “look amazing.” However, he cautioned against restricting the field to cadet use only.
“I think that [would] be completely uncalled for, because the drill field is like the one spot where the cadets and the student body come and bond like regular students,” he said.
Cadet Evelynn Holmes agreed that limiting civilian access to the drill field wouldn’t be in the best interests of the student body as a whole.
“The cadets and civilian students are already so divided and it would just make it worse. [The drill field’s] one of the only things here that everyone uses at some point,” she said.
Cadet Conrad Anderson expressed optimism about the president’s recent proposals to strengthen the corps.
“Any high ranking individual coming into command of a new organization has to make some left field calls in order to begin the change process, but I believe Dr. Shannon has only good intentions for the University of North Georgia,” Anderson said.
Hudgison said that the proposed changes to the drill field “are designed to enhance the experience of visitors and guests of our campus and allow us the opportunity to showcase the university as The Military College of Georgia.”