Iowa State will begin construction on a new residence hall on May 11. The residence hall will be built next to Buchanan Hall, the same location where two trees which are nearly 200 years old reside. In order to build the new dormitory, these two trees will be cut down while 12 smaller trees have already been relocated.

Controversy has surrounded the decision to cut down the trees. Opponents argue that students who study landscape architecture and horticulture use those in their education and need varying ages of trees to study. Some want the new residence hall to be built elsewhere or have the trees transplanted in a different location.

While it is unfortunate that these two stately trees must be cut down, the benefits of building a new dormitory dramatically outweigh the disadvantages of removing the trees. For students in those fields, there are more than 100 of both hackberry and black walnut trees on campus that could be used for educational purposes, said ISU President Steven Leath in an interview with the ISD Editorial Board.

Leath went on to say that Iowa State has planted about 700 trees on campus last year alone. This means the plant life of campus is certainly not suffering from the loss of two major trees.

The question of whether it is possible to transplant the two trees has also been raised. In a previous interview with the Daily, Cathy Brown, assistant director of Campus Physical Planning, said there are a few disadvantages to moving the trees, including cost. She said the trees’ size and age make the move more complex and after the transplant, “we wouldn’t have the same trees when we were done.”

“I’m not thrilled about cutting them down but I think that’s where we’re at,” Leath said. “Nobody wanted to cut them down but that’s just the way it is.”

The reality of the situation is this. The university is growing at a faster rate than ever before and Iowa State needs more room for students to live. This new residence hall would give about 700 more students a home each year and a new dormitory has not been build on campus since the 1970s.

Many students and others around the community sometimes complain about over enrollment at Iowa State or not having enough room on campus with more than 35,000 students attending last fall. The city of Ames is also suffering a housing shortage and prices of housing is a great expense for students in part because of the growing enrollment.

Building a new residence hall would help alleviate some of the housing problems and provide students with more affordable places to live through the university. Isn’t giving up two trees worth 700 homes for students? The advantages are just too great to give up.