The Mismanagement of Collins Auditorium Causes Frustration Among Fordham University Students
Performance groups at Fordham University are outraged by the conditions they are forced to rehearse and perform in at Collins auditorium.
Maddie: Performing Groups at Fordham University are concerned and disappointed by the way Fordham manages Collins Auditorium. Collins Auditorium is a building located next to the University’s Church and Faber Hall. The building was built in 1905 and is considered a New York Historical landmark. Throughout the year a vast variety of performing groups use the space for their rehearsals and shows. These students know Collins not as a beautiful and safe theater but rather as a rundown auditorium with a laundry list of issues. However, the most frustrating part for these groups is that there is no one to listen or help fix these problems. Elizabeth Ladley, a junior and president of a Dance group known as Expressions Dance Alliance, uses Collins Auditorium for their annual winter and spring showcase. When representatives from campus operations told Ladley and other performing groups that there was not going to be a main stage curtain for the spring semester, students were outraged.
Liz: Our one biggest event of the semester is our show, and this semester we are without a main stage curtain. Pretty much the equivalent of a main stage curtain for a dance company is like a basketball hoop to a basketball team or field goal to a football team. Its pretty important part of the process. We understand that it was deemed unsafe, however we have seen other improvements made in Fordham in a really timely manner, when menial things like repainting a fence or bronzing a door on campus. Where as readjusting a pulley system in an auditorium that is already pretty unsafe in a lot of other ways couldn’t be done. That was definitely a discontent with us we have known about this since December and we didn’t find out until two weeks before our show that it would not be possible. There is a third party missing when it comes to administration telling OSI and then telling us I am not sure who’s to blame for that. From what I have learned so far, it’s the University who doesn’t communicate well with the clubs here. I can say whole heartily that everyone on this company dedicates so much time you know 10 to 12 hours a week dancing to put on one performance. We are already working in a very shanty auditorium. We are sharing it with other groups who need to do wood shop and construction backstage and we are walking around dancers barefoot. The whole building itself I mean the walls are crumbling the ceiling is falling apart. There are no handicap accessible entrances so it really does need a good update. The curtain was definitely the least we could have had this semester and we didn’t get it so who’s to blame for that I’m not sure but that’s just my take on that.
Maddie: In response to Ladley’s comments, I reached out to Campus Operations multiple times but they were unable to comment. Ladley and other groups were told that the curtain will be fixed over this summer, but Ladley is not confident that the university will get the job done because she feels that the needs of performing groups are not seen as a priority. From Fordham university in the Bronx I’m Madalyn Ruiz