Let's start by saying we realize that Ball State University was given very little time to prepare for Chelsea Clinton's arrival.
That said, we could have planned a little better.
Even though online comments led us to believe the campaign requested the Atrium as the venue for her speech and Q & A session, that doesn't mean we had to listen.
Issues abounded because Clinton spoke in the Atrium. First and foremost, students had problems reaching classes.
Students trying to make their way up the main staircase were greeted with a nearly impassable mob of people. Although there are other staircases and an elevator, students shouldn't have to take into consideration alternate routes of getting to class to accommodate a speaker.
Not to mention that with the awkward setup of the stage, any student on the second floor who tried to watch Clinton speak was greeted with a wonderful view of foliage.
The newly renovated Emens Auditorium would have been an ideal location for Clinton to speak. If she had been on an actual stage, all of the students who wanted to actually see Clinton speak would have had the opportunity.
Another issue encountered with having the speech in the Atrium was the general level of noise. Between students being released from classes and eating breakfast or lunch, there was an abundance of noise echoing through the Atrium that made it difficult to hear at times.
Students have also said that the noise from the speech could be heard within a classroom, beyond closed doors.
Clinton or no Clinton, the Art and Journalism Building is filled with classrooms and students trying to learn.
We should keep that in mind before scheduling speakers on campus.
It appears Ball State and Muncie might be frequented more by presidential hopefuls; we should use foresight and have a plan ready for the next time this happens.
We were able to get away with using the Atrium for Chelsea Clinton. Administrators are kidding themselves if they think the Atrium would be an appropriate venue for Barack Obama to speak.
Perhaps, depending on weather, a graduation-esque setup would work with the candidate speaking in the Quad.
Either way, it comes down to one simple fact: We need to have a basic plan on the back burner in case something like this arises in the future.
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