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The overgrown weeds seem to grab at the wads of paper and debris that roll over the cracked cement in the breeze. When the sun goes down, the chain-link fence casts shadows over the peeled paint on the ground.
Walking past the tennis courts across from Yolo Hall can be a scary experience.
"It's just a bunch of weeds, broken concrete and sticks," sophomore Stina Regalia said. "It's like a wasteland."
The area, once painted cleanly into six tennis courts has transformed into a rundown slab of fenced-in concrete in the past several years.
"It is a waste of space if they can't actually be used," Regalia said. "And they really don't seem safe. They're kind of creepy."
Regalia walks past the shabby tennis courts every day to and from school, and she can't help but notice how worthless and unattractive they are, she said.
"Obviously, no one can actually play tennis over there," she said. "The only people I've seen over there are guys skateboarding every once in a while."
Other areas on campus that seem old and abandoned include the racquetball rooms and Bidwell Bowl Amphitheater.
Norma Young, of the department of facilities management and services said the racquetball courts that have doors are maintained regularly for student use. The amphitheater is owned by the City of Chico and has been leased by Chico State in the past.
It is still used for campus and community events, including the ceremony in which Tibetan monk Losang Samten poured the sand from his mandala into Chico Creek.
The tennis courts, however, cannot be used anymore because of the poor condition they're in and the lack of money to improve them. But it may soon change.
A bid to refurbish the tennis courts has been made, Young said.
The construction on these six courts will begin as soon as possible after graduation, she said.
They will be a little bigger than the old ones and will provide an area on campus for tennis players to play, Young said.
Phyllis Fernlund, dean of the College of Communication and Education has seen the old tennis courts turn to ruins.
"We're excited about this project," Fernlund said.
When the project is complete, six competition-ready courts will be built and fenced, and at least three of them will have lighting, she said. Drinking fountains and benches will also be placed around these courts.
"It has been about 10 years since Chico State has had decent tennis courts," Fernlund said. "Soon there will be courts open to faculty, staff, students and the community."
The kinesiology department also hopes to use the new courts for instruction, Fernlund said.
"I think it will make that whole area look better," Fernlund said.
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