Allow MHU Students use of Thomas Black Box Theatre

Let the students utilize the space. If not them for whom was it built?

This is unconscionable! As a Mars Hill alum, you always want the students who came after you to have it better than you did. Even though they have the facility, they aren't allowed to use it? Are they supposed to be grateful? Please find somewhere else to store those text books. Even if it's underneath the cafeteria.

Theatre students over book storage!

I don't go to mars hill anymore but I still stand and support the student body for this one.

As a theatre seat sponsor, I am keenly supportive of this action!

please allow this space to be used.

We have the makings to be a great university but decisions like this are the reason Mars Hill has a poor retention rate. It's not the faculty, it is decisions from a management position. I am confused as to why this is even an issue. Clearly it is effecting your students (the people who pay to attend the institution) in a negative way. It is a no brainier that other means should be looked into, for the good of the students. My last point is this, would donors really be happy with their donated money going towards a storage room? Is that what they donated for, or are we defrauding our donors?

1991 BA graduate in musical theater

Theatre and multipurpose room are not the same.

Please

1) Hardworking students deserve their space to study and do what needs to be done in order to be successful in their academic careers. 2) The facility was proposed, built, and designed to be a black box theater. If you need a storage room, a storage room should be found. Would you shut down the chemistry lab for use as storage space? I don't think so. There is much more to be said about this issue, but there are my 2 cents.

Alumna 1976. The decision to use the new James Thomas Black Box Theatre as a storeroom for overflow from the bookstore is a stinging slap in the face of everyone who has ever studied, taught, performed, or enjoyed a theatre production at Mars Hill University. For the upper administration to have negated the purpose of this long-awaited performance and teaching space is a betrayal not only of the university's mission, but of every person who donated funds to make the black box a reality. For the last two years, both the Department of Theatre Arts and SART have had to teach and work in makeshift spaces, some of which have been substandard for decades. Props and costumes and furniture were stored in unsecured basements of other buildings, and many of those items have "walked away." It makes me furious that the arts are always expected to make do with less, when the arts make incalculable contributions to the richness of any learning, living or working environment, not to mention to local economies. Thanks to Jim Thomas, Mars Hill Theatre distinguished itself in the 1970s as a national curriculum pilot for the competency based curriculum model that was later adopted by Mars Hill College and many other institutions. Even then, in my days as a student, Spillman was in poor condition, and the scene and costume shops and McConnell Gym, where we had to rehearse, were so primitive it was a miracle that our teachers and directors and designers could produce in them at all, much less produce theatre that was always good and often, fantastic. All of us have dreamed for years of a decent teaching and performing laboratory. And the immediate past and current professional staff have practically given their blood to see it become a reality. And now, this. Dr. Lunsford, I call on you to have every single box of excess books carted out of the James Thomas Black Box Theatre right now and stored in the basement of another building at Mars Hill, because if those storage spa

Alumni 2013. The theater kids always worked so hard to get everything done and put on plays that Broadway would be proud of. So much work has been done at the campus, I feel like it's time for them to have the help.

Theatre students from this University have gone on to do many Productions representing Mars Hill in great ways. Please give the opportunity to the current students to learn so that they may also make their mark representing this University in great ways.

Alumna 2015. Theatre students need a place to perform and learn. This theatre was built with that intention and it is inappropriate to use it as a storage facility. I was in the graduating class that was not allowed use of Owen our senior year, as we were told we they were building new theatre facilities. Do not take away this learning opportunity from students paying 30 thousand dollars a year to use it as glorified storage.

Very saddened to read that the new facility that has been in the "works" since I was a student at Mars Hill (1999-2003) is now being used as storage. The theatre arts department was once held with highest esteem by the college, the community, and the theatre community at large. Its sad to see the department dwindle because it's facilities have become some obsolete and compromised. Please give the students and future generations of students the facilities they have been promised.

Owen Theatre is one of the most beautiful spots on campus and should be valued and used daily for its intended purpose as a theatre for students to perform and audiences to enjoy.