Article #2: Morningside Theatre Department. What Comes Next?
Morningside’s theater department won’t be offering any major or minor starting next semester. Now the department’s main focus will be the shows and the student involvement.
As theater professor Taylor Clemens explained “We don’t have the major anymore but there’s still the dedication to strengthen the theatre, getting students and community involved”. Now the department will start building around the student produced shows.
These students produced shows will be held in collaboration with APO (Alpha Psi Omega) the national theater honor society on campus (started in 1927, is one of the oldest societies on campus). Which is fully directed by students and is focused in making theatre stronger on campus.
To help this transition APO is creating a new position: a student liaison for productions. Amy Carothers is the one in charge to help students prepare their proposal for the play and guide them in every aspect.
The first show following this structure was Love, Sex and the I.R.S. Having a full cast, crew, and production team of students. The only faculty involved was Taylor Clemens as a theatrical consulter.
Brock Bourek APO president wants the society to keep the students and community invested.
He said “a movie night once a month, doing improvisation or theatre spotlight nights. Maybe even an open mic night.”
Luis Seijas who is not a theater major but has participated in the past said “I witnessed the great material the department has, but I’m not surprised of the cut thank to it’s lack students”. Many students like him are sad to see the major go mostly for the tools and potential it had to grow.
The Department will continue to provide the majors classes to the current enrolled students. Until the class of 2021 is graduated. Students for this class and before have until October 13th to declare the major. After this the academic department will be creating a detailed plan for every student that declared the major.
Prof. Clemens also explained the whole process of eliminating the major. A year ago, Morningside started a taskforce to look into future problems and how to solve them. All of the majors were put into consideration. Depending on their score the majors would end in the top or bottom 50 percent. The ones in the bottom The President of the college John Reynders would have to decide on whether eliminate or keeping them.
After the decision was made, a reasonable concern was shown by faculty and students. But the truth is that the department has been struggling for the last decade. From administration issues to a very small group of students enrolled in the major; the major was not on the best place.