Photo courtesy of conncoll.edu.
“I have some wonderful news about the future of the College,” said President Bergeron, smiling to an uncomfortably-packed Chu Room on Thursday, April 12. Professors, students, alumni, and friends of the College came in a horde to Shain Library that afternoon, many prompted by a vague email the day before from the President announcing “Exciting News!” about “Building for the Future” of Connecticut College.
President Bergeron and Board of Trustees Chair Pamela Zilly ’75 got right to the point: the College had received a $10 million grant from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation (which had previously gifted $5 million for renovating New London Hall), as well as $10 million from alumna Nancy Marshall Athey ’72 and her husband (who had sponsored Conn to be an All-Steinway school in 2012). Both donors have supported advancing the arts and/or sciences at Conn in the past.
Bergeron continued to say that the $20 million will go toward renovating Palmer auditorium and the neighboring Castle Court, to “enhance Palmer’s facilities and technology to match the excellence of the educational program” by including more accessible entryways, comfortable auditorium seating, and a shock-absorbent stage with what’s called a “sprung floor.” Audience members gasped and burst into applause. Two students turned toward each other and squealed.
Photo courtesy of Conncoll.edu
Jokingly calling herself a “historian,” Bergeron fondly presented the history of the 1300-seat auditorium and the more important history of the arts that it has held. Palmer was built in 1939 by the principal architect of the Empire State Building, William Lamb, back when Conn only had about 600 students. The Art Deco building has gone on to host dancers and musicians such as Martha Graham and the New York Philharmonic, and more recently the successful production of Spring Awakening under the direction of David Dorfman ’81, who choreographed the Broadway play Indecent.
Therefore, Bergeron repeatedly made clear that this would be a “historically informed renovation” that would be “preserving historic architecture” while allowing students the space and opportunity to more effectively create their artistic projects.
“There’s so much I don’t know about making art,” laughed Chair of the Theater Department David Jaffe ’77, who was invited to speak next. “And this fires me up so much—what makes a great theatrical work?” He had explored this question in the Palmer auditorium as an undergraduate, and continues to do so now as a professor with his students: “That is our research on campus, getting into that room and figuring it out.”
He continued, “I believe creating exists in space” and that “good space gets you going.” Even though Palmer was a central focal point in his college career, he expressed deep-felt, tearful thanks for the gift for its renovation: “I cannot understate what this gift means.”
While making a speech, Kelley Fairman ’18, a Dance major, agreed: “art transcends time and space.”
The second great surprise of the afternoon was the mini-concert of actors from Spring Awakening standing up one at a time from the crowd to sing “The Song of Purple Summer” with piano accompaniment, while the president swayed in her seat. The performance spoke to Bergeron’s earlier statement of “a day of hope and awakening to possibilities” while highlighting the worthiness of Camels for the renovation of the concert venue.
Zilly concluded the ceremony by explaining the College’s “big campaign” ahead, with plans to further update the campus, starting in the south end and eventually working north and across the river, improving buildings such as the athletic facilities and Cro. Zilly restored hope in those in the room feeling sad and nostalgic for the past by firmly reassuring all, that “five years from now, this college will be better.”
