Art students shared their thoughts of their new facility and marching band members commented about frustration with marching band director, Joe Allen.

An open forum was held for art, music and theater majors to voice their concerns to faculty members involved in fine arts in the Charleston-Mattoon Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union last night.

The student and teacher audience of more than 30 was dominated by art majors, in part because a majority of the upperclassmen music majors were also members of the Wind Ensemble.

The four faculty members present at the forum were, James Johnson, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, Jeffrey Lynch, associate dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, Roger Stoner, chair of the music department and John Oertling, chair of the theater arts department.

The meeting began with the discussion of the hours for the new art building, Art Park West. The Dounda Fine Arts Center, the old facility previously used before it was shut down for renovation, was available 24 hours for the students. The new restriction, coupled with the late start of classes due to Art Park West not being ready at the beginning of the school year, has resulted in many students falling behind.

The current hours of Art Park West have it closing on weekdays at 10:30 p.m., Fridays at 5 p.m. and Sundays only being open for six hours. On Saturdays, the building is closed.

Johnson said there are plans for Art Park West to remain open an additional 10 hours per week, but one audience member said they would like to see it open 18 hours every day by the end of October.

Students commented they would like to see the building open later at night to accommodate their schedules.

Johnson and the rest of the faculty then stated their concern of the potential security concern the late hours would have for students at a site so far away from campus. Students then suggested a possible card-swiping system to enter the building, like the system at the recreation center at Lantz Arena.

Members of the Eastern marching band also took the opportunity to discuss their problems.

Frustrations arose from an incident that occurred two weeks ago before the football game against Illinois State. After an early morning practice, marching band members were only given 55 minutes to eat lunch, get in uniform, and report for the game.

In wool uniforms in mid-80-degrees weather, band members then performed at MacAfee Gymnasium, the South Quad, in front of a tent in the tailgating lot and for 20 minutes for the pregame, all without a break.

One student and a marching band member said some of the members felt sick afterwards and that one girl could barely walk.

One music major student brought up the fact that he thought music classes should receive more credit hours. He gave an example of how he says he has 13 credit hours and people don’t think it is a big deal, but then how he tells them he is also taking eight classes.

Five of his classes are only one credit hour and they are all needed for his major.

“We got most of our complaints out,” said Marbeth Marfia, a junior graphic design major said. “It doesn’t feel like anything has been solved but we got them out.”