Down the Hill and Up the Hill: The Unnoticed Division

Amanda Marin, Staff Writer–

When it comes to trying to make our campus better, it’s good to preface conversations with a wider picture. Denison is very proud of its hill and the communities that grow here. We prides ourselves on our overall community but we cannot ignore the variety of intermingling smaller groups that make Denison. There is a pride in “mastering the hill” either from your ability to get to Mitchell and back, East Quad and back, or more prolifically to Eisner and back. 

If you read that last one and cringed or gave a dramatic sigh worthy of the performing arts, then you are part of one of the intermingling communities that either have a class or their entire career down the hill. The trauma bonding of the walk up and down this hill is prolific, because no matter where you come from or what your major is, we all struggle through this hill. There is something powerful in that connection, but there is also an issue. While we won’t forget the positives, we can’t ignore the negatives.

Ask yourself these questions: Did you know that the Cinema Department has moved major operations to what was previously known as Doane Dance, which will soon be known as Doane Cinema? Do you know how late rehearsal goes for music and theater productions? That cinema has a rule to leave a note on the door if you’re napping in the editing room? That there are 3 computer labs down the hill, including one Mulberry House with drawing, printing, editing, projecting and recording resources? 

Some of these were trick questions, even some Eisner students wouldn’t know, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. After sophomore year, students devote more time to their majors, including Fine Arts Majors who spend more and more time down the Hill. Issues develop, but these concerns are very rarely noticed or addressed by those up the Hill. This disconnect leaves students down the hill isolated from the rest of campus because of their dedication to their passions.

Food has always been a problem, sporadic and late hours of performing students being a major worry, but rarely does this concern come into conversation campus-wide. DCGA lacks (like athletes) representation for arts students, and their voices on issues are hardly noticed as a result. For example, the only recently replaced rules for financing student organizations have left performance groups struggling to give their members support for years. 

I’ve seen some dismiss the hard work of those who go up and down these hills 3 to 4 times a day. Professors from other departments being skeptical of those who work and perform down the hill causing academic hardships. The lack of collaboration between these two sides has caused many people to perpetually stay down the hill for their next “thing”. I’ve seen people visibly hesitate to go down to support others’ works and I’ve seen professors look confused when told that ensemble or theater productions are essentially a fifth class that we also need to prioritize. 

All these small things come from the lack of voice and representation of arts students and the effects range from casual disinterest to larger perpetuated issues. Why is the English creative writing program so separated from the other arts? Why are student organizations for the arts so small in number? I know we’re a small school but only two comedy performance groups? Schools like Kenyon have three of their own, as well as many theater and dance groups, while we only have one theater production organization.

Things are getting better, I’m not going to deny that. Progress is being made with new organizations starting, finance rules that are more permissive and food issues that are being seriously being considered, but I think we can do better. 

Academically we need to open communication and collaboration between departments. If the goal is community, overall Denison community, it’s time to start breaking boundaries not only between sections of the school, but departments as well. We need to start opening and adapting and getting to the root of issues instead of letting things lie. I’m tired of the academic confusion and hardships of arts students from other departments who are not aware of the workload. I’m tired of the lack of recognition and care for the hard work that we all do. So let’s start trying to combine our worlds instead of keeping us separate.