When it comes to planning events, it seems as though many times students and faculty have conflicting ideas on which spaces are the best for performances. The Carriage House’s new designation as the Innovation Institute’s official on-campus space has sidelined some potential music performances, raising the question of what performance spaces are most beloved on campus. A small change like the Carriage House may affect the success of events on campus, particularly student performances. To determine what spaces were best for student events, I considered different venues around campus. In evaluating these spaces, I came up with four categories: sound quality, seating/standing Room, location, and aesthetics.
Overall it seems that spaces such as Packard Hall, Cornerstone, Carriage House, and Cossitt Amphitheater ranked consistently at the top for overall satisfaction out of all four categories. McHugh Commons, Gates Common Room, and Bemis Hall also consistently ranked as being mid-range spaces overall. Interestingly enough, Gaylord Hall consistently ranked as being a dissatisfying space in every category.
This provides great insight to the lack of spaces we have for live performances, as the Carriage House is no longer as accessible as it once was and Cossitt Amphitheater is dependent on the weather and time of year. Spaces such as Gaylord Hall hold a lot of music related events yet have the highest level of dissatisfaction out of all spaces.
This evaluation not only helps to consolidate student opinions on their experience in different venues, but it shows how influential restricting particular spaces can be on the success of concerts on campus.
If places like Cornerstone, the Carriage House and Cossitt become harder to book for shows, student bands may find it harder to draw crowds. Event planners and musicians should take note on how the venue used for the show could have a strong impact on the success of the show.
Sound Quality:
- Very Satisfied: Packard Hall
- Satisfied: Cornerstone and the Carriage House
- Somewhat Satisfied: Cossitt Amphitheater, McHugh Commons, Bemis Hall, Gates Common Room
- Dissatisfied: Armstrong Hall and Gaylord Hall
Location:
- Very Satisfied: Carriage House
- Satisfied: Armstrong Hall, Cossitt Amphitheater, Packard Hall, Cornerstone Hall
- Somewhat Satisfied: McHugh Commons, Gates Common Room, Bemis Hall
- Dissatisfied: Gaylord Hall
Seating/Standing Room:
- Very Satisfied: N/A
- Satisfied: Cossitt Amphitheater, Packard Hall, Cornerstone
- Somewhat Satisfied: Armstrong Hall, Carriage House, McHugh Commons, Bemis Hall, Gates Common Room
- Dissatisfied: Gaylord Hall
Aesthetic:
- Very Satisfied: Cossitt Amphitheater, Cornerstone
- Satisfied: Packard Hall, Carriage House
- Somewhat Satisfied: McHugh Commons, Gates Common Room, Bemis Hall
- Dissatisfied: Armstrong Hall, Gaylord Hall