COVID-19 protocols and construction draw the arts to uncharted territory

Malia Kabwe, Staff Writer

In the age of COVID-19, Singing has become a high-risk activity because it expels aggressively the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus.  This means that Choir instructor Jeffe Huls’s students can no longer practice indoors. Samo’s COVID-19 protocols have relocated Huls students and their equipment to the Greek theater, requiring teacher and students alike to spend instructional time setting up for their rehearsals.

“I have to take out a whiteboard speaker system. I have to set up four tents so that we are out of the sun and all of the students' chairs. I also have to take a keyboard out of a music stand and a director's stand,” Huls said.

On top of moving equipment the Greek theater does not have the needed sound quality for choir rehearsal. Choir student Emma Tuttle (’23) explained the main downside to rehearsing outside. 

“The lack of echo makes it hard to hear yourself singing,” Tuttle said. 

Samo administration has helped by providing special masks for singing, which the choir is grateful for. Singing masks have wires built in that hold the mask away from the mouth to allow the singer space to sing. They also were especially designed to hold the breath inside while still allowing the singer to project their voice. Nevertheless, the situation is not ideal.

“The mask muffles the singer's sound. Being outdoors the sound just kind of escapes. The students can't hear each other, they can't hear me and it doesn't allow them to feel really secure in their own sound,” Huls said. 

Huls also can not see the shape the students' mouths while students are singing. Facial expression plays a large role in the art of singing. Huls explained that singers express themselves through their faces almost as much as their voices. The mask hinders Huls’ ability to judge the facial expressions as well as the students confidence while performing. Huls feels as though the upperclassmen are feeling insecure due to having missed out on over a year of in-person instruction. There is some instruction that his student’s will have to make up that otherwise would have ingrained in them by the time they reached eleventh and twelfth grade. 

The orchestra and band classes have also movee outside to the Greek when playing as a full ensemble.  Orchestra teacher Jim Wang explains that this becomes difficult when students are playing against sounds of construction, helicopters and other distractions.

 “So much of what we do is listening and when you're outside that gets cut in half. Like in photography class it would be as if everything was dim and none of the lights were working,” Wang said. 

Jason Aiello said that many of his students are upset about playing outside. But, they can all agree that playing together outweighs the hassle of setting everything up outside.

In addition to the COVID-19 protocols affecting music classes, construction and campus changes have affected visual arts programs. 

With the art room relocated to the Business building, art teacher Amy Bouse has left 23 years of memories behind in room A103.  

“There was something really comforting about the old art room. I don't know, it just felt really homey,” Millie Weill (’22) said.

For students like Weill, the idea of being in the visual art program was reliant on exhibiting their art in the Roberts Arts Gallery on the first floor of the History building.  With that building gone, thegallery was moved to the former textbook room.  Workers are now finishing up construction on that space. Bouse believes gallery shows are an essential part of the art program, but for now she is refraining from planning any large exhibitions due to COVID-19. 

Photography teacher Martin Ledford and Bouse have had similar challenges when concerning the construction. Leford’s class was relocated to the trailers after leaving a room he spent nine years in. Ledford explained that his inability to use the darkroom for photography has been a struggle. Without a darkroom Ledford must teach material he usually plans for second semester. 

The move of the visual arts classes to the Business building and trailers are temporary until new art classrooms are installed in the next phase of the Samo campus redesign.

“We are supposed to meet with the architects again in the next two weeks or so, and we will have an updated perspective,” Bouse said. 

Bouse hopes architects will consider modeling the new art space, after rooms in local art schools. 

“I think we are creating an innovative space where they will be able to do what they do best in a collaborative atmosphere,” Principal Shelton said.

A photo of an art student in the new art room.

Photo by Ella Rose

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