The SPACE Committee Preserves “Safe Space”

To the Editors:

Those of you with friends in the arts at Oberlin have doubtless heard the cries of ‘there’s no space.’ Those of you involved in the arts at Oberlin have encountered the problem firsthand. And to the rest of you, let us be clear: while there remains a vibrant creative community on campus- from theatre and dance, to music and visual art, to comedy and writing- the facilities available to student groups and independent projects for rehearsal, production and performance are far fewer than the number needed and often ill-equipped or not designed for use by arts groups. But this letter is not simply a rant about an existing problem. No, we write to inform you that much progress has been made--and that any of you out there can be a part of much more. Over the past few years a group of students on campus have been working with the Theater and Dance Department, alums, and administration to see through the creation of an all student run center for the performing arts. Far from a pipe dream, the Student Performing Arts Center (SPACE for short) was approved by the Board of Trustees over a year ago and now simply waits for funding. In addition, Res Life has agreed to turn over room on campus for the committee to run as rehearsal space. While it is a small step, successfully managing this space will help make clear to administration--and potential donors--that the space crunch on campus can successfully be navigated by students, for students. So what can we do in the meantime? There remain the issues of ensuring student input in the design process of the Center, fundraising questions and maintaining and running the current donated space. Those of us currently involved want the whole process — from groundbreaking, to running the complete Center to everything in betwee — -to be as inclusive and collaborative as possible. Thus, the SPACE committee will be holding elections next week to fill this year’s board. Anyone, regardless of
performance background or lack thereof is welcome to come to the meeting, run or vote for the board, and get in on the process. Watch for signs, or email us at space@oberlin.edu to find out how you can be involved.
Thanks!

–Lily Matini
College senior
–Tom Taylor
College junior
–Aaron Mucciolo
OC ’02