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Show OPINIONS www.uvureview.com NOVEMBER 8, 2010 VOL L ISSUE 14 ess Randy Nettson/UVU Review Art classrooms do little for creativity but teachers and students work with it. Though it's one of the largest programs in the school, the visual arts department is housed in a bland and ill-suited area of campus. By Celeste Rosenlof Asst. Opinions Editor S tark. Dirty. Crowded. Unaccommodating. Unfortunately, these things describe the space assigned to the Arts and Visual Communication department. Taking a walk through the Gunther Trades fourth and fifth floors is a surprisingly uninspiring experience. There are dents and marks on the walls, stains in the carpets and a bountiful amount of florescent lighting. Yet the faculty and students of the art department deal with it. "Can you learn? Sure, you make do," said Don Seegmiller, associate professor and coordinator of the Illustration program. "Is it ideal? No." The problem is the same, whether they are coping with it or not. With 871 students enrolled in fall 2009, Illustration is the biggest depart- ment within the School of the Arts and does not have the space or facilities adequate to house the growing program's increasing needs. learn? Sure, you make do. Is it ideal? No. 5 5 -Don Seegmiller For example, last year the Art department's gallery space on the fourth floor was converted into much-needed practice studios for Music majors. While things like that may seem a triumph for one department, it's discouraging to the other. "This bothered students," said Seegmiller. "We lost what little gallery space we had here." Addressing the needs of two departments at odds for square footage is difficult, especially at a time when the entire university is staggering under the weight of an increased number of enrolled students. It could be said for every department that they need more space and class sections. "A lot of [the problem] is growing pains. ... It's hard to find space. If we need to add a class, we can't because there's nowhere to hold it," said Seegmiller. What's especially frustrating for the AVC department is that the space was never intended to be used for art classrooms. There,is sparse natural lighting and an overabundance of florescent lighting which is harsh and inappropriate for painting or illustrating. In at least one of the painting and illustrating rooms, the department disconnected several of the florescent tubes and installed a softer lighting source. Randy Neilson/UVU Review In addition to the lighting, the general care of the rooms is often neglected. Some of the floors are carpeted, including the floor of a main painting classroom. Maintaining the carpet becomes impossible, especially when the undersized room is congested with easels, horses (a kind of bench a painter will sit upon) and tools, while the counters are employed with harboring wet paintings. According to Seegmiller, this makes it difficult to really clean these classrooms more than once a semester, during term breaks. "It's just so packed and tight, there's not a lot you can do in here," said Seegmiller. "We need student space, real working space." This space would include studios in which BFA students could have additional classes, work and leave their awkward or bulky equipment and tools. The university's proposed master plan offers at least one gallery for the Randy Neltson/UVU Review AVC department in the future Performing Arts building, but no concrete plan has been made for the department itself. Being the fifth largest program in the school, falling behind Management, Aviation, Behavioral Science and Elementary Education, interest has shown that the department deserves improved facilities, which should be expected of a university program. Campus recycling is more serious than buying a Prius ; By Ryan Murrell Opinions Writer T is university is decUcat providing the ogtipns to/students for recycling which will help keep the campus cle he university's recycling program has improved over the last few years, and with key additions being discussed for implementation, it only looks to get better. Headed by the Sustainability Committee, the recycling program was adopted to help the campus become green and reduce its overall carbon 7 footprint. The / committee is -•'" charged with developing, innovating and suggesting potential projectsfo increase sustainability on campus. The first implementa- tion within the recycling program was the acquisition of a bailer for all cardboard products. "We got the bailer installed for cardboards, and we are running 18,000 to 22,000 pounds of cardboard per month. That is just cardboard," said Denny Rucker, Sustainability Committee member. The original idea behind the cardboard bailer was to sell the bails of cardboard to recycling companies for a profit, but as the recycling program evolved, the expectations changed as well. "We use those funds to hire people to collect the goods," Rucker said. "We have created jobs and we have people cleaning up in areas that we normally wouldn't. It's still profit, it just depends on how you look at it." Besides acquiring new employees, the committee has made it a point to increase campus-wide awareness of the recycling program. One year ago, the versity purchased 230 additional recycling bins to place around campus and the effort to increase awareness has increased. f?#::: '. "We have about double the number of bins compared to last year. We have added about 100 recycling cans for aluminum and plastic," Rucker said. "Wherever there is a vending machine, we try to place a bin close to that. We don't have enough cans to put them in everyone's office, so we try to put them in high traffic areas." With the increased awareness around campus, the program has seen overall improvements. Because of these improvements, the Sustainability Committee is looking to expand the program in other areas. "We are looking into plastic recycling ... but the problem with plastics is that it is so bulky, it requires a different machine to compact it," Rucker said. "We are looking! at those issues." j The committee meets: monthly to discuss new so-! lutions they can implement' on campus. As with any new program, from discuss-, ing concerns in a meeting to| implementation on campus, there can be a delay due to planning setbacks or funding. "We don't have a pile of money to just jump intoj plastic recycling all at Once/1; Rucker said. "We discussed, cardboard last year and this year we are looking into either plastic or paper." , Even though there is a lack of money to implement other ideas, such as plastic recycling, the committee keeps these ideas current so when the money becomes available they are able to act. In order for this program to continue to move forward and remain successful, it is up to the students to use the program as intended. Blue recycle bins*are placed all around campus. Start using them. |