A new bench placed on the Quad in honor of former Chancellor Kenneth “Buzz” Shaw is well-intended, but features incredibly distracting and unseemly lights.

The bench is the perfect marker to dedicate to Shaw. He encouraged the construction of benches on the Quad while he was chancellor so students and faculty could sit outside and chat when the weather was nice. But the lights on the back of the bench, spelling out “Shaw Quadrangle,” are too neon and take away from the Quad’s serenity.

The lights are similar to flashing lights at a convenience store. Instead of lighting that honors a former Syracuse University chancellor, they are harsh and distracting. They hinder the look and feel of the Quad at night, especially the previously scenic and peaceful view of Hendricks Chapel.

Shaw saw the Quad as a quiet and peaceful place to think. These lights are counterproductive to one’s ability to clear his or her head. The lights also take away from the aesthetic of the bench.

The university could have created elegant etching engraved on the back of the bench in its place to commemorate Shaw. A plaque also could have been placed on or near the bench, detailing the chancellor’s love for the Quad and explaining to students who may not know Shaw’s background why the Shaw Quadrangle was named after him.

Either would have memorialized Shaw’s legacy in a less distracting way.