2008 Woodie Awards
Performing arts center would be a campus asset
Issue date: 3/6/08 Section: Opinion
PSU's Carney Hall once held a 3,000 seat auditorium, in addition to numerous classrooms for natural sciences and home economics classes. Plays, performances and lectures of all sorts were held in the auditorium, with appearances by the likes of Duke Ellington, "Roots" author Alex Haley and Marcel Marceau. University historian Randy Roberts says the auditorium was a "centerpiece, not only on campus but in the community."
Unfortunately, Carney Hall was effectively condemned in 1978, rendering the auditorium unusable until its destruction in 1980. Heckert-Wells Hall was built in its place.
Thirty years later, Pittsburg State is still without a proper replacement.
Pittsburg does have a handful of performance venues, including Memorial Hall, McCray Recital Hall and the Grubbs Hall Student Theater. Sadly, all of these venues have their problems: Memorial isn't located on campus, which makes it difficult for some students to access; McCray is a fine venue for music, but is not equipped for plays and other theatrical productions; and the student theater in Grubbs Hall is simply too small for major productions.
We at the Collegio understand just how many projects need to be completed on this campus and just how much issues like deferred maintenance make it difficult for the university to choose which projects take precedence.
However, we ask our readers to consider what a new performing arts center would mean to the campus, to its potential patrons who want access to a wider variety of performances, and to those students who hope to become involved in those performing arts which they've had relatively limited access to at PSU.
Unfortunately, Carney Hall was effectively condemned in 1978, rendering the auditorium unusable until its destruction in 1980. Heckert-Wells Hall was built in its place.
Thirty years later, Pittsburg State is still without a proper replacement.
Pittsburg does have a handful of performance venues, including Memorial Hall, McCray Recital Hall and the Grubbs Hall Student Theater. Sadly, all of these venues have their problems: Memorial isn't located on campus, which makes it difficult for some students to access; McCray is a fine venue for music, but is not equipped for plays and other theatrical productions; and the student theater in Grubbs Hall is simply too small for major productions.
We at the Collegio understand just how many projects need to be completed on this campus and just how much issues like deferred maintenance make it difficult for the university to choose which projects take precedence.
However, we ask our readers to consider what a new performing arts center would mean to the campus, to its potential patrons who want access to a wider variety of performances, and to those students who hope to become involved in those performing arts which they've had relatively limited access to at PSU.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jack L. Kennedyj
posted 3/07/08 @ 3:58 PM CST
The performing arts center is long planned, but long Overdue. Theater viewing and teaching, for example, are hampered, as are many other public and academic functions such a building on any campus our size serves. (Continued…)
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