“I have no life.” 
“Facilities are a little worse for wear.”
These statements are from Chacerye, a senior interdisciplinary arts major, and Owen Gavigan, a senior classical performance voice major. Both students, as well as other students in the music and arts, face similar challenges.
When I asked students from the music and arts departments about their experiences, they each said that it takes up a lot of their time.
Carlos Navarro, a junior music education major, explained that students in the music department have to take more classes than the average student because their classes only offer one or two credits. While the average student needs to take six classes (three credits each) to have a total of 18 credits, Navarro is taking 13 classes.
Along with taking these classes, these students have to prepare for the many performances they are involved in.
“It’s too much sometimes,” Navarro said.
Chacerye, along with Alina, a senior studio art major, discussed how students in the art department have classes all day that go until late at night. They also talked about how they lack time to sleep, and having to resort to sleeping at the arts buildings at times.
“At Power Art, usually. I know a couple of students–one that graduated and one right now–and they’re stuck on their thesis and they’re doing painting, but they bring a pillow or a blanket because they’re there, working 24/7,” Alina said.
“I take naps in the middle of my stuff too,” Chacerye admitted.
Chacerye mentions that having to put so much time out of her day into her major forces her to miss out on events and gatherings that are happening on campus.
“We aren’t even part of the community that is happening here,” Chacerye said.
Between keeping up with a substantial amount of classes, along with extracurricular activities for their major, these students say that they are stressed. Some would say they are exhausted.
Not only have these students expressed their frustration with how much they have to do in so little time, but they voiced their dissatisfaction with the conditions of the music and arts buildings. According to Alina, the arts building will usually have issues with the temperature.
When talking about The Shea Center, the music building, Gavigan explains how “there are no windows at all for any of the practice rooms, because they’re all cemented off. I feel like I’m pushing my instrument at the time, because as a singer, a lot of our thing is to relax and just have our sound come out. In those rooms I feel like I have to get more because I can then hear myself.”
Gavigan also talks about how the auditorium needs improvement, for when performing in there “the sound doesn’t come back.” Factors such as the size and shape of an auditorium, and what is in the auditorium, can play a big role in how sound travels. Here is more information on the many factors that influence sound in an auditorium.
The conditions of these buildings are hindering students from practicing and learning to the best of their ability.
All of these concerns should be a call to action to William Paterson University to make sure students’ mental health and learning environment are at the forefront of the institution’s priorities.
