Photo courtesy of Brooke Sponzo.
This Founder’s Day, Connecticut College had more to celebrate than just its 110th birthday. On April 5th, President Bergeron officially opened The Dune: a new, seasonal stage on Tempel Green that’s promised to host its fair share of music, theater, and dance department shows for the entertainment of Camels everywhere.
Well…everywhere is perhaps a stretch—not all students are happy to see the Dune rise. Those dwelling on the southern side of campus fear that the new venue will prove itself to be little more than noise pollution. “I really need some quiet,” an anonymous ‘22 student commented. The SGA released an April 4 meeting update that included an email contact for the Chair of Residential Affairs to be reached in the case of decibel drama (lenglehar@conncoll.edu).
When the Dune opened among a flutter of picnic blankets, tasty treats courtesy of NoRa Cupcake Company, and delectable prizes from CC Student Philanthropy, South Campus Camels feared that their complaints would soon be buried under the sand of happy fanfare.
This semester, many students still take at least some of their classes online over Zoom, a feat most often accomplished from inside their college bedrooms. As such, dorms have become places where excessive noise is considered disrespectful, as your high-volume tunes might not only threaten the security of your neighbor’s nap, but their economics presentation, too. The consensus on the southern sidewalks of Conn is that the Dune and the teachings of over-video professors will exist as little more than competitors for sound waves.
But such fears aren’t the only first impressions of the space. Performers and artists are more than happy to have their interests finally represented on campus. “I’d rather perform somewhere than nowhere, so I’m excited,” acknowledges an unnamed ‘24 student, while another chimes in with: “I think it’s cool and will allow for more performances that rally the community. We can do a musical in the pandemic!” And they’re not wrong: the stage is already serving as a backdrop for dance Capstones and student song groups, creating more events for students to flock to and enjoy as the weather gets nicer. “We finally get to have live performances after a year of absolutely nothing,” comments one student ‘21, while another adds that it’s “kinda fun to have people out there rehearsing while you’re hanging out on the Green.”
The exciting prospect of outdoor concerts isn’t quite enough to sway every cynic in the crowd though. Our new campus banners advertise that Camels “fearlessly pursue the truth,” and, holding to that, Conn students are more than happy to poke as many different-angled holes in the Dune as can be sniffed out. “It’s literally outside. What if it rains, or is dark, or just is cold?” an incognito ‘24 student asks. “The flapping sign makes loud noises in the wind,” comments a second, with a handful of agreements that note our campus’ proclivity for particularly gusty weather. Other students raise to the foray the Camels’ notoriety for not attending on-campus events: “what if no one goes to the events at the Dune?”
Students also brought forth the argument that the structure blocks their sight line to the distant Long Island Sound. “Ugly,” bluntly puts one anonymous senior of the stage. “It blocks the view from the top of the Green.” Other less-than-stellar appraisals poured in from the social media account @missed.conn.ections as well: “does anyone know who we can email to beg them to stop playing this classic a** music at 3 million decibels on Tempel Green for three hours straight, this is literally psychological tourture.”
“To the person who is in charge of the Dune, what in God’s name were you thinking?” accuses another angered follower of the account.
However, others warned against the hypocrisy present in the growing North/South Campus split on the issue: “I just want to point out that this is pretty much what the Barn was for the Plex [and KB].”
“If we’re complaining about sound,” another Camel chimes in: “I’d much rather have a conversation about the beeping that happens when food is brought to and from the JA dining hall.”
In the Dune’s defense, it’s makeshift attorneys cite the age-old sports v. arts divide, one that caused a point of contention between the two groups at several college-run town halls at the start of the semester, much to the disparagement of Zoom’s comment section. “All these athletes who were 85% of the COVID cases last semester now complaining? Absolutely not,” snapped one disgruntled senior.
Such diverse remarks lead me to wonder: will the Dune find a way to warm up to its seemingly mixed reception by the Camels? Will we find the jokes of the students to be only that, or will the stage prove itself to be a real problem, and an object of spite as well as jest?
It’s been only a week—time has yet to reveal the venue’s true intentions.
And one senior helps to remind students that anti- and pro-Duners may have more in common than they believe. “We [the theater majors] don’t like it either,” she admits. “Sorry we have to perform outside, but what else would they suggest during COVID? Is this ideal? No! But it’s the safest option. If anything this will show people how much work goes into the performances—people in the arts don’t just show up to perform, there’s a lot of practice and, yes, noise, that goes into a final product.”
A recent Instagram poll hosted by the satirical Instagram account @conncollapocalypse asked the community if they thought the Dune was “cool” or if they “hated it”. The results were cut straight down the middle with, out of 120 answers, exactly 50% of respondents giving the Dune a yay, and 50% holding out a thumbs down for the new space.
On April 12, Dean Norbert released an email containing a performance schedule for the Dune, officially addressing noise complaints in saying: “I have asked all faculty, students and staff running rehearsals/tech to significantly turn down the volume during the week. Events will only use full volume during formal performances.” He also indicated that spaces other than the library will be available for South campus residents to reserve on the occasion that they have a class or an interview during a time in which the Dune is active.
