View from the bottom: new building is long anticipated

By Jill Case

TAMPA, Fla. -- The University of South Florida music majors will finally have a new place to call home. The new school of music building is set to be finished in the spring semester of 2011.

The vice president of COTA is senior vocal performance major Chris Sgammato. Sgammato is an individual in every sense of the word; he is a playwright, a student, a teacher, a musician, an actor and a leader.

He is also just one individual who says the new building is long awaited.

Sgammato blames this long wait on disproportionate money distribution.

The school of music was promised a new building 40 years ago when the first set of music classes filled past capacity.

Since then, many problems have been apparent to Sgammato.

“The practice rooms are full of harmful debris, lovely for vocal performance majors,” says Sgammato. “Given the amount of time spent in the tiny broom closets everyday, we are learning and practicing in an environment that is so harmful to our health that it should probably be illegal.”

Sgammato says that a typical music major must practice at least three hours a day and most of them usually exceed that amount.

Up-to-date and working equipment is necessary for any artists. There are broken down instruments thrown into the corners of practice rooms, cramping space even more.

“There are practice rooms with two computers to record a rehearsal session, but only one of them has ever worked,” says Sgammato.

He points out that both of the machines date back to the 1980s and that the only place to record in the school of music is the Recital Hall FAH 101, which is always booked for recitals or concerts.

“I think the lack of funding for the arts comes from a lack of understanding of art’s importance,” says Sgammato.” Art, the way I like to see it and use it, is a form of social commentary. It’s a way of keeping ourselves in check, so to speak.”

Sgammato says that he thinks the people pulling the university’s purse strings are those empirical, methodical and rational heads who see art as frou-frou.

In terms of what Sgammato would like to see different, he is very vocal.

“I would like to see more support for and funds flowing to the arts,” says Sgammato.

“I would like to see less athletics bullshit, which has absolutely nothing to do with anyone’s education and everything to do with this bizarre college mentality of over-emphasizing the importance of football, otherwise known as two opposing teams of juggernauts struggling to bring a spheroid across a white line.”


Slideshow by Thayesha Lewin