The University website, the prime space for all things SSU, is very successful in highlighting a multitude of attributes that make the campus such a worthwhile experience for its students and visitors alike–as it often does time and time again. But, when reality reveals a different picture of one key university selling point, one cannot help but question how long “treatment complacency” and false advertising of the current state of the lake will continue to take hold, especially at the expense of student perception.

“We hear it time and again from first-time visitors to Sonoma State University: ‘I had no idea how beautiful the campus is!’ But seeing is believing, and we encourage visitors to come experience SSU’s stunning natural beauty,” says the University website.

Whether a member of the surrounding community or a Sonoma State student directly involved in weekly campus life, visitors alike surely cannot go without noticing the well accentuated, natural beauty of the Sonoma State campus. Yet, the words of the University staff are exactly right: seeing is believing; so, when such attractions, like the lakes, show an ongoing, alternative state of affairs than what is advertised, concerning implications are sure to arise.                                   

For prospective incoming students as well as those already enrolled at the university, students alike look to university media outlets, Sonoma.edu, especially, to receive the most up-to-date, accurate information on campus staples: whether events, or attractions. The latter in particular seems to be the most investigated aspect by incoming students, as they look to gain a glimpse into what the University boasts outside of its thriving academic environment; it is thereby expected that what is being “sold” to intrigue students and future students alike is, indeed, accurately represented.

As is not-so thriving, however: the existing state of the largest of the University lakes (of pond variety in reality) is situated just behind the newly built, stunning Wine Center on the northern side of the campus. 

In fact, the area is so large that it technically boasts two of the three lakes–the pair, riddled with deeply murky, greenish-grey water. The lakes, with one situated in Beaujolais Village, each certainly see myriads of students passing by. However, with as much area as they cover, the two lakes aforementioned are by far the most visited and praised by the University, raising rightful concern over their unchanged lack of upkeep and overall appearance. 

As students cross along the path behind the Wine Center, naturally passing by the vast lakescape in the process of coming to and from their cars parked at the GMC–a continuously common parking space for hundreds of students daily–it is clear that the unchanged, murky scene at the campus lakes, as witnessed, surely does not match up with its overall portrayal as a beautified selling point online and in person to hundreds of students year-in and year-out.

“Murky water can be caused by a number of factors including unbalanced pH levels, excessive amounts of plant and animal waste in the water, lack of pond bacteria and high levels of nitrates and phosphates from fertilizer runoff,” says pondbiosolutions.com, a team of pond solution experts. 

Since the issue facing the University “lakes” points to careless disregard for its appearance and odor, evidenced by the royally murky water, it has been investigated that the disregard specifically surrounds the University’s rare-if-ever removal of ducks and their large dump of organic waste. Such adamant non-removal by the University is oddly enough explained by a 49-year-old Sonoma State University press release, officially written by the once-Dean of Student Personnel, John Palmer. Dated Spring of 1970, the press release documents Palmer’s highlighting of the reported “skinny dipping” popularization in the same campus lakes by students during a rock concert. Allegedlly, the university later decided to solve the issue by intentionally making the lakes unappealing through the employment of ducks and their inherent duck waste. Palmer’s press release can be found in the database of the University Digital Library.

To solve the problem, the University can simply look to the advice of the team at pond biosolutions, as they say, “by applying Super’s Pond Choice Bacteria to your pond, the organic waste will essentially decay the organic waste. The decay of the waste will not only give you clean and clear water, but it will also reduce sludge at the pond bottom while eliminating unpleasant odors.” 

Nevertheless, as the natural beauty of the Sonoma State campus is repeatedly at the focal point of advertising and outside attraction, new measures must be taken to truly align its existing reality with its well regarded praise by thousands of visitors annually.