Wilder inadequate for campus, many say

When Wilder Hall first opened its doors to residents in 1911, most men carted in the usual assortment of baggage, books and bed sheets. Few students brought 3,000 records.

WOBC, the current tenant of a renovated dormitory room in Wilder, has stocked its shelves with more than 3,000 records. The weight of the collection is threatening to sink the station.

"They've got zillions of records," said Director of Facilities Maintenance Eugene Matthews. "The building isn't designed to support that kind of weight."

According to the recently issued long-range planning report, an enormous stash of records isn't the only thing the Student Union isn't designed to support. According to the report, "Oberlin lacks a central gathering place. It does not have a campus center or student union that is designed to create and support a sense of community."

"We need a genuine campus center," President Nancy Dye said. "A really nice space that is enticing and inviting, where people will go after class for coffee."

Wilder Hall, designed by the same architect who created Memorial Arch, was originally built to house male leaders. Members of student government, newspaper editors and athletes lived under Wilder's roof until 1957, when the building was officially designated as the student union. According to many members of the administration, the building has outlived its usefulness as a student center. Plagued by mounting structural difficulties and a lack of sufficient space for student activities, the idea of a new student union has gained appeal. Senator sophomore Nicole Johnston said, "I definitely think the Student Union needs to be reformed in some way." She said that there is no place for congregation for students. Johnston said she feels that the College should "make it an actual student union as opposed to just a building where offices are." "We've ended the possibilities we have here with this structure," said Assistant Director of Student Union Chris Baymiller. "We need more space to accommodate students." Baymiller said the ideal student center would have space for a student theater, student movie theater, larger restaurants and practice rooms for rock bands.

Manager of Campus Dining Services Mark Sustarsic agreed that the current Snack Bar simply isn't large enough to accommodate hordes of hungry students at lunch time. "We could definitely use a larger area," he said. "During lunch, it gets crowded."

Oberlin Student Theater Association co-chair Abby Bush echoed calls for a student theater. "It's really hard for students to put up productions," Bush said. "It's definitely at a point right now where we need a theater."

Wilder Main is currently used for student productions, much to Bush's consternation. "It's really difficult because there's no system to coordinate between the floor and the balcony," Bush said. Lighting technicians working in the balcony are forced to go out into the hall and shout over the banister to communicate with people on the floor. Bush added that positioning lights is difficult and acoustics are poor.

Junior Jacob Hauser, co-chair of the Oberlin Musical Theater Association and theater and dance student representative, has worked on approximately 10 productions located in Wilder Main. Hauser said, "It is uncommon for the lighting equipment to fail in that space. The lights are ancient." He also said that there are supposedly 12 six-by-nine functional lights in the area, yet they are almost never working at the same time.

"The people who work in that space usually know what they are doing," said senior Elizabeth Orenstein, who has worked as a student lighting technician and designer. "It's very different, however, when the space they are working with are not constructed to be a theatrical space in the first place." Orenstein added, "Without the proper skills, it can be dangerous."

Junior John Pfeifer, the editor of Hi-O-Hi, said having the yearbook office in Wilder hasn't caused any serious problems. "If Wilder was open a little later it would be nice," he said. "But it works pretty well."

Although Wilder Hall has certainly garnered its share of detractors, Associate Professor of English John Hobbs counts himself among the building's fans. Hobbs has long utilized Wilder Hall as a teaching space. "Classrooms in King are pretty sterile and gray," Hobbs said. "We need more informal classroom space whether it's to be found in Wilder or King."

Hobbs conceded that Wilder is not quite a perfect facility. "I can see why students might want a more comfortable union," he said. "Heating is always a problem. In the winter I have to keep opening windows and then it gets too cold."

Wilder is heated by radiators. "By today's standards, it's an outdated system," said Matthews. "But it still functions real well."

According to Associate Dean of Student Life Joe Di Christina, Wilder is in constant need of attention. Baymiller said that the electrical and plumbing systems have become anachronistic.

"Some of the wiring is old, but over the years we've been incrementally improving the system," said Matthews.

The two first floor bathrooms in Wilder will be completely renovated during Winter Term.

Matthews was also concerned with the weight of the radio station. "We sure don't want WOBC to end up in the mailroom," he said.

Matthews said a new student center would allow for tremendous structural enhancements, but he wasn't quite ready to speak badly of Wilder. "Considering what we've done with that building it's held up," he said. "It's had a hard life, Wilder has."

Over the hill: Critics say that the student union is no longer adequate as a structure and a gathering space. (file photo)