To the Editor:

We are a service learning group representing the eighth grade class at the Oak Bluffs School. Our group is focused on providing information to the community about the proposed plans for the athletic fields and track at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School.

We think that it’s important that we make the change from grass to synthetic turf for the game field because the current fields are worn down and hard to play on. The current track is ruined so badly, there have been times when the track students were not able to compete or practice on it. There is a huge dirt patch in the middle of the girls lacrosse field, which makes it hard to play and practice on. There is little traction, and the dust goes flying every time a player runs through the dirt. This is a concern to students, because having dust in your eyes and lungs cannot be good for you. The main soccer and football fields are filled with divots and extremely overused, making it very difficult to maintain quality playing surfaces.

With the synthetic field plan, track runners and sports players will be able to have a place to play without worrying about themselves or others being injured, or dirt flying into athletes’ eyes. The synthetic field that is being proposed is 100 percent recyclable, and gives us 12 years of playing use. With this new plan, our fields will also have paths, making them more handicap-friendly; which is something our current fields do not have.

We feel it is very important, as the incoming class to the high school, to get the fields in the best shape and start the process as soon as possible. Overall, we love the idea of having a synthetic field along with many other grass fields. This will take the pressure off the current grass fields, to give them time to become healthier and safer for players to use. We think it’s what would be best for the fields at the high school, as well as the students and athletes who play on them. When the time comes, we hope the Island community will support the proposed plans for us and all the future generations of Martha’s Vineyard graduates.

Rachel Arruda, Jennifer Peres, C.J. Walsh

Oak Bluffs School