It has always been this way since high school. Athletics always seems to one-up artists, and for what reason? After graduating from high school, I thought we would leave that mindset behind. But as soon as I walked into UTRGV, it felt like déjà vu.
For almost the entire fall semester, there has been a whole master plan about bringing in new spirit and athletic programs. I am not going to lie. They had me in the first half. I heard about this great idea and how it would benefit the university and the community. It sounded like an easy piece of cake I was so willing to take a bite of.
Then, I started to think.
How will this benefit the School of Art? How will this make me feel safer and important in the university? How is it that the university takes care of its athletes but not its artists, who have been crying for help since day one? It is crazy to hear seniors and professors discuss how they have complained since long ago about the distribution of classes between campuses and lack of materials and space provided to the department. But nothing has been done.
In the first week of school this semester, I entered my sculpture class in Rusteberg Hall, so excited to get started. But little did I know, I would want to be out in the first five minutes. The air-conditioning unit was broken, the professor was dripping sweat and classmates were taking off their masks because it was too hot for them to handle.
I guess the university forgot that COVID-19 exists and did not think students would remove their masks. We were provided bottled water to “help” with the issue but to this day, I am not sure if they came from the university or one of our professors. Either way, it should not have come to that.
My head was hurting from the heat and I could not concentrate on my artwork. Some students chose to stay in that room, while others, including myself, moved to another classroom. About two or three weeks into the semester, they decided to “fix” the sculpture classroom by installing an AC window unit that does not cool off enough in our garage-looking classrooms. When I returned to the classroom, I did not know I would only have about elbow-length space in which to sculpt.
Rusteberg Hall belongs to Texas Southmost College and while other UTRGV departments, such as Music, are getting brand-new facilities built for them, mine is falling apart.
Before registering for the Fall 2021 semester, I had the hardest time trying to find classes that were based solely on the Brownsville campus. I was on the waitlist for about half of them, not knowing if I would even get in before the semester began.
The thing about being an art major based on the Brownsville campus is that you will more than likely wish you lived in Edinburg to be able to access all the art classes. Unfortunately, not every student has the means to move to Edinburg. The Brownsville campus has a limited number of professors and space and for that reason, art majors miss out on classes they want to take.
Even when you get a class in Edinburg, you still need to take another bus, which no one even tells you about, because the Visual Arts Building is not on the main campus. This only makes us feel even more separated.
Not only is the Edinburg art building separated from the main campus, it is also separated in Brownsville, which means the parking lot is, too.
One of my classes ends after sundown; therefore, walking to my car is a bit terrifying. Half the time, I do not even know if it is really safe for me. Every time I see cars parked next to the sidewalk, I feel as if I am being watched and hesitate to walk by. Hearing that someone wrote a message with their phone number on a classmate’s car was also creepy.
As terrifying as it is walking in the dark to your car, sharing a restroom is, too. I have had enough of having to put down the toilet seat or having to flush it every time I walk in because a man was too inconsiderate. These may not seem like big issues to athletes but try being in our shoes: How would you feel if the court was too small, or water came inside the gym or weight room every time it rained?
Recently, a Student Government Association senator for the College of Fine Arts spoke to art majors on the Brownsville campus after concerns were raised during the Oct. 14 town hall on the Athletics Fee Referendum. A couple of peers voiced their concerns as to how nothing has been done to increase space and the number of classes offered in Brownsville since the opening of UTRGV in 2015. The senator told attendees that there was “no information” about budgets or logistics regarding the College of Fine Arts when she joined the SGA. Even though the addition of marching bands may seem like it will benefit the arts, it falls under the School of Music, not the School of Art.
I understand that creating new programs will help the school grow, but how are we supposed to grow if we cannot even fix what is already broken? I have heard time and time again how art students are tired of trying to make a change because they feel like they are talking to a wall. Why do we need to take that extra step and sign a petition or write letters to the provost? Why are we not already being taken care of just as Athletics is? Does our art not matter? Just keep this in mind: We are the ones who create your graphics, logos and designs. So, you need us, too.
