Excitement ran wild through residence halls Oct. 3 when students heard that Guster would be performing at Alumni Hall on Nov. 10. But countering the excitement was the worry of older students that this concert, like others, would be another victim of the horrid acoustics of Alumni Hall.
FUSA President Jess DiBuono feels that an acoustics problem does not exist in Alumni Hall.
“I’m not a sound technician, but from my experience, I’ve always been able to hear the show from all the different stations that I’ve worked in Alumni Hall,” DiBuono said.
Yet some students would agree that there was something off about the sound. Different areas of Alumni Hall have been rumored not to get as good of a sound as others.
“When I was at the Third Eye Blind concert, I noticed there was an echo,” said Erin McNamara ’06, who was standing on the right side of the stage about 30 feet away. “I would not be surprised if the same problem happened at the Guster show.”
Jackie Macchi ’07 also feels that the acoustics could be improved.
“In my experience, the acoustics have been slightly off,” said Macchi. “However, while I attended the functions, I found the atmosphere to be highly enjoyable despite the difficulty in acoustics. I have found that if people sit on the sides of Alumni Hall to the left or right of the stage that it isn’t that bad,” she said.
This could be because the sound quality gets altered by the two large speakers and the vibrations they make off the walls.
Pete Lapre ’06 feels that no matter what, the acoustics will ruin the experience for the audience.
“The acoustics distort the sound into one big, giant mess,” he said. “I couldn’t even hear what Dave Chappelle and Dane Cook were saying.”
On the other hand, some students feel the same way as DiBuono.
“I don’t think the sound quality affected any of the shows,” said Jodi Minervino ’06. “I’ve never had a problem.”
All of this information leaves one wondering. If the acoustics are unsatisfactory in Alumni Hall, then why doesn’t FUSA look into holding the concerts at a different venue?
“Alumni Hall is the best location simply because it is the only one that allows for the largest capacity of students to attend,” said DiBuono. “And we want as many students as possible to hear the comedian or bands we bring to campus.”
Also, it is not as if the talk of Alumni Hall’s acoustics has been left unanswered.
“We contact professional sound companies to come in and run the show for a concert venue,” DiBuono said.
These same sound companies will be working at Alumni Hall for Guster, so hopefully with their help, everyone will have a good time and the acoustics will not ruin the fun.
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