Campus groups put strain on space

Numerous on-campus performing arts groups took to the stage this weekend for their final fall semester shows. Weeks of practice time and preparation ultimately resulted in bows and waves of applause.

And though most of the actual shows this weekend went off without a hitch, many performing arts groups say that they face ongoing problems with obtaining adequate performance space as well as achieving recognition from the Performing Arts Council.

PAC -- the overarching organization which provides funding and support for performing arts groups on campus -- is comprised of 43 various student organizations.

But with these 43 groups -- and over a hundred additional Student Activities Council-sponsored organizations -- vying for a few popular performing arts venues, many students end up without adequate facilities in which to perform and practice.

In addition, some unrecognized performing arts groups feel that they have simply been ignored by PAC.

College sophomore Stephen Morse, who is part of the Penn Oval Office Players -- a group which satirizes government through musical comedy -- is unhappy with the current PAC policies.

According to Morse, his group recently approached PAC, but has yet to receive a response. He believes that PAC has "poor organization [and] should force groups to consolidate."

He added that, "theater space is a problem. PAC groups get priority and then other groups then have to pay to rent out a theater because we are not part of PAC. It's [PAC's] fault for allowing 30,000 a cappella groups on campus."

Omar Sanchez, a Wharton senior and chairman of SAC's executive committee, said he recognizes student grievances and thinks that "too often people see SAC as adversarial. I try to tell people that I am here to help you out. I'm not trying to be a bad guy."

Still, SAC and PAC must be selective, according to Sanchez, or else there would be a lack of funding for groups in general.

Currently, Penn has 200 different student groups recognized by either SAC, PAC, or both. The groups in these two councils range from political interest and debate to dance and a cappella. Being in SAC is not a prerequisite for joining PAC.

Off the Beat is one of several Penn a cappella institutions. While "Off the Beat gets a lot of breaks," according to College senior and Off the Beat President Larry Kraut, they still have a hard time finding practice space.

"Part of the problem with finding space is the system used to reserve space," said Kraut.

He added that recently, when his group showed up at a venue to practice, "another group was there. We were both scheduled to practice in the same place."

The theatrical group Intuitons also has had trouble obtaining practice venues.

Engineering senior and Intuitons Technical Director Sam Starr said that "the space we had [this semester] was decent; feasible but not ideal. We couldn't even map out our set [due to limited space, which] led to minor issues in the set design."

And for groups like The Penn Oval Office Players or Ya'lla -- a middle Eastern dance troupe -- who are not recognized by PAC or SAC, finding venues is an even more daunting task.

Vanesa Sanchez, a Wharton junior and member of Ya'lla, said her group has had trouble locating places to practice on campus. Most dance venues like Pottruck, which has mirrors, charge too much money for the dance members to pay for on a regular basis.

She suggested that PAC should "review groups every once and a while for funding to get rid of groups that don't do anything."

Morse said he thinks that PAC and SAC should operate on a deficit, borrowing money to enable more student groups to form.

Still, despite complaints from students, the PAC Executive Board said that they remain confident in their organization and believe that in the future, a solution to the lack of venues will be found.

"We take pride in our distinction as the largest-run student performing arts organization on any university campus nationwide," PAC Executive Board members said in an e-mail.

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