Thursday February 18th from 3:30 to 6:30pm in the Theresa Lang Community and Student Center of Arnoald Hall an open house was held to give students, faculty and members of the community the chance to view the current plans for the 65 Fifth Avenue building; student attendance totaled six.
Theresa Lang hall was set up to showcase a layout that led visitors through multiple aspects of the planning process and culminated with poster boards giving views of “The Auditorium, Student Center, Library,” as will as classrooms, a meal hall and student housing. The multiple poster boards used to showcase the planning process gave visitors a glance at who was involved, what steps were taken in getting building plans accepted by the city and a rough outline as of now as to what the final product might look like. There were representatives present at each set of poster boards who were somehow involved in that part of the process station to answer questions. There was however no timeline given for the construction of the new building and its completion.
“In spring 2009 The New School established the University Facilities Committee comprised of faculty, administrative leadership facilities staff and students, “ this is taken form one the poster boards outlining the who involved in the planning process. The poster goes on to explain that the role of the University Facilities Committee was to “provide a consultative role in the programming and design of the campus, including the university center at 65 Fifth Avenue. Of the five students that were involved in the planning process there were no undergraduates and no one representing Lang, Parsons, Jazz, Mannes or The New School for Drama.
“It was like trying to steer the Titanic, and you are turning the wheel but Lia Gartner and James Murtha are holding the rudder,” Heather Contant, the only student member of the University Facilities Committee present commented when asked about her involvement in the planning process. Contant, who is a Lang alum and is currently pursuing her graduate degree at the New School for General studies said that being involved in the planning of 65 Fifth Avenue was a frustrating experience but gave her a real understanding of what it’s like to work with large companies and multiple indviduals. “ I now understand how these things really work from start to finish” Constant said.
When asked about the poor student turn out, Constant said she wasn’t surprised. Two of the other students, Aundrea Vocos and Ben Dombus both from Lang who were there on behalf of the New School Radio seemed to share the same sentiment. Between 5pm and 6:30 there were four students total. Vocos and Dombus who had been there the length of the even said they had seen two other students making student attendance six total.
“I wish there were more students here, but that’s a wish. I think the students are narcissistic, lazy and not committed to there school” Dombus said with a smile.
“There is a lack of organization, lack of people leading and a lot or red tape,” Vocos said responding to the lack of student participation university wide. She said she felt that that this event was poorly advertised but even so the student body is stand offish when it comes to any sort of involvement.
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