The Orient asked a sampling of students out on the Quad how they felt about alterations to the art museum. In interviews conducted earlier this week, many students said the museum plays a vital role in the Quad and the community.
"The museum plays a huge part of the aesthetics of the Quad," said Lucas Bare '06.
Some attested to the scenery of the Quad and the museum, and related the experiences that they had connected with the surroundings.
"I get an image of the Quad at Orientation with the sun setting in the background," said Kelsey Abbruzzes '07.
Others, like Glen Ryan '07, picture the graduation tradition as well. "I like the visage of the museum," he said.
Some students agree that change for the museum can bring benefits. "It's less about the steps and more about the museum itself," said Adrienne Heflich '05. "It needs more space, and renovation [would] make the museum more part of the quad."
In addition, the improvements could make the museum more "inviting" for tourists and prospective students who visit the campus said Alicia Crumbs '07. "As a tour guide, the museum is one of the highlights," she said.
Some students see a compromise between preserving the image the museum gives to the quad while renovating it.
"I think renovation is a decent idea. I prefer that the school wait to work on one building in the Quad at a time. Too much construction is kind of an eyesore," said Tommy Long '06.
Eric Sofen '07 said that preserving the appearance of the museum along with updating some of its interior should be the goal. "Ideally, there should be some way to expand the museum while architecturally keeping its appearance," he said.