By Jacquelyn Knoll
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – Students and faculty who use Lincoln Hall speak out about the conditions of the building, how they affect students, and the need for renovations.
Lily Conway, a theater major at Camden County College, rehearses her script in Lincoln Hall By Jacquelyn Knoll, CCC Journalism Program
Lincoln Hall, the second oldest building on the Blackwood campus, is used in large part by those studying and teaching the arts. Walls, floors, ceilings, windows, heating, air conditioning and level of cleanliness all show the results of many years of heavy use.
“Lincoln Hall isn’t up to date like the other buildings,” said Lily Conway, a theater major who has the majority of her classes in Lincoln Hall and takes part in all of the college’s theatrical shows. “There are little to no computers and hardly any lighting. It definitely isn’t as clean or well kept as the others.”
She said the conditions of the building affect the way she looks at the school. “It makes me feel as if the majors in this building aren’t taken seriously and that we are the least important,” Conway said. “Being in the arts is just as important as being a science or English major.”
Allison Green, coordinator of speech and assistant professor of speech, said the conditions of the building concern her. “It is difficult for anyone to feel valued if their environment says otherwise,” Green said. “I’ve never met anyone who does their best work in a pigsty. That’s why I’ve created my little nest.”
Green said she has seen full renovations of Lincoln Hall occur once in her 28 years of working at Camden County College. She added at one point she wanted to paint her classroom to make it more like home for her class. While the school paid for the paint, it was up to her to paint the room. Her students helped, so Green rewarded them with pizza.
Small, short-term renovations have recently been made. They included stripping the floors, installing new light bulbs and replacing grip tape, cove molders and risers on the stairs. The last long-term renovations took place in 1992, when the front of the building was turned into the photo department.
When the heater broke over the winter, the administration had to bypass the air conditioning to get the heat running again. Therefore, when the temperature begins to rise in the spring, students and faculty members in Lincoln Hall will have no air conditioning, Green said.
“We learn by example. I need to set an example, but this building just isn’t cutting it,” Green said. “I have written at least one letter every year for the last 10 years and have never received a reply.”