Stiteler Auditorium Roast Session
by Mason Vargas, Daniel Johnson, Abiageal Filon, Bailie Zepp, and Jack Rogers
See for yourself here: https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/juxtapose/latest/embed/index.html?uid=594342ac-e464-11ed-b5bd-6595d9b17862
Check out some details on the renovations to Stiteler here in this article by by John DeRosier :
https://www.arcadia.edu/news/arcadiarenovations/
As a group, we have been in and out of Stiteler Auditorium multiple times this semester gathering content for our project. As we became more acquainted with Stiteler, our opinions grew stronger.
Mason writes, I remember when I first saw the new Stiteler ‘auditorium,’ if you can really call it that. The first thing I noticed was the smell of the place, it reeked of sadness and stagnation, something that the place used to never know. The auditorium used to be fun and filled with rows of red seats that welcomed guests. I remember having a freshman orientation meeting there before it was renovated, and it fit a lot of people in it. Sure, now it can still fit a lot, but it’s much less comfortable. Stiteler is boring now, and to be honest, I feel quite uncomfortable in there. The only good thing that has come from Stiteler is this mirror that I found that was filthy upon acquisition. I didn’t spend much time in the original Stiteler, but I definitely enjoy the original version more which seems to be a common sentiment on campus.
Daniel writes, I didn’t really have any experience with Stiteler Auditorium before a couple of weeks ago, so this new version of the auditorium is all I have ever known of it. My first thought when I saw the auditorium was that it was strange that an auditorium was on the second floor. I thought that auditoriums were all on ground floors or else there wouldn’t be enough space. However, I was pretty surprised at how expansive the auditorium actually was. I am no architect, but I was impressed. There was a stage and seats facing the stage, but there was also a bunch of random stuff that made the auditorium seem more like a storage room. Blocks of lockers, at least fifty different physical therapy seats, T.V.s, and a bunch of other random items. It made me wonder what the plan for the auditorium is and its future outlook. It’s not like it is faulty in any way and can be surely used for many different purposes that would be beneficial to the university. But as it seems, the plan for it right now is to sit there and store things, which seems like a waste.
Abby writes, Over the course of my academic career at Arcadia University, I had never been inside of Stiteler Auditorium until this spring. I feel as if I’m looking back on the one that got away when I look at pictures of what Stiteler used to be, a past that I’ll never have the chance to be a part of. What once was a room of rows of red chairs, used to view shows, movies, and presentations, is now a barren wasteland. Instead of feeling like a real theater or auditorium, Stiteler now feels like a room with things in it that have no real purpose. The university told us that the renovations took place to welcome Murphy Hall’s newest residents, the Physical Therapy students. I feel like whenever I go up there, it’s always empty, so I’m not sure what they mean, unless I’m just ignorant of the classes that actually take place there. The chairs they have in place of the old red chairs are movable, flimsy, plastic, and unsturdy. In addition, the array of random items found in Stiteler is confusing and amazing at the same time. Over-the-door mirrors, makeup, gloves, protein powder, mugs, and skeletons grace the room with their presence and make visitors feel even more lost on what the real purpose of the room is. Instead of finding answers, you’re left with more questions. Going in there makes me feel like I am an intruder in my own home, or like I’m entering Arcadia’s version of purgatory. Maybe it’ll grow on me before I graduate next spring.
Bailie writes, I have been present for the evolution, or moreso the decline, of Stiteler auditorium. When I first started at Arcadia University, I attended the senior capstone projects, hosted in the auditorium. There were large comfortable seats, labeled similar to a movie theater. They were on a downward slant to give maximum viewing capabilities. I had a very enjoyable experience sitting and viewing the projects for hours. Today, the once comfortable seats have been replaced by solid plastic chairs; where after twenty minutes of sitting on them your back is in traction. The windows no longer have curtains so there’s always a cast over the projection, and the audio has gone to the wayside. Stiteler Auditorium is no longer an auditorium, it’s a giant room filled with equipment that has no relation to film and viewing.
Jack writes, I’ve only ever known Stiteler Auditorium in its new form, but its new form isn’t exactly what you would expect from a university-level auditorium. Especially in one of the university’s primary media/entertainment/ performance buildings. While I don’t think that Stiteler’s current state is objectively bad, it feels almost indecisive. The stage and aspects of its performative past still remain but it is also now outfitted with physical therapy equipment that just feels out of place. I think that at a school with creative-based departments that seem to take a backburner to others, changing Stiteler Auditorium was more harmful than good.
