By Matt Hirsch and Gabriela Flores
Reporting assistance by Michela Arlia
As the fall semester began, some Brooklyn College students, faculty, and staff were allowed on campus at the Theater Department and Conservatory, but not for Athletics events. COVID-protocols enforced by the university, such as maintaining six feet of social distancing, have led to the difference in audience policies.
The policies have been largely effective so far, with only 16 confirmed COVID cases at BC out of 4,400 tested this semester, according to CUNY’s official website. Eight test results came from non-CUNY testing sites.
“The priority of the college is to ensure a safe environment for audiences and spectators at all of its events,” wrote Richard Pietras, Brooklyn College’s Media Relations Manager, in a statement to The Vanguard.
Audiences attending the Theater Department’s performances must be vaccinated, book tickets 24 hours before showtime, and complete a health questionnaire the day of the show. All performers and staff are required to be vaccinated as well, per BC Theater’s patron safety policy. Once Brooklyn College confirms a prospective audience member’s information, they can pick up their ticket at will call and show proof of vaccination through their BC Navigator’s green key or a CUNY Cleared4 Access Pass.
Once in the theater, audience members are seated six feet apart wearing masks.
“I think these precautions were the right call. I think having a plan with a lot of details is useful because it gives very specific guidelines to follow,” said Stephanie Beckman, a junior in the BFA Tech and Design program.
However, in contrast to the Theater Department, the Conservatory of Music at BC was set to perform in front of audiences earlier this month but received a last-minute notice that there would be no spectators.
“I understand some things happen from time to time as an inconvenience. But this was a very big blow to the morale of the students,” said Allan Randall, a post-grad Music Performance student at BC. “I have heard people say, ‘Then what is the point of this concert?’”
Though, limited audiences are expected to be allowed soon, according to Concert Office Coordinator Bim Strasberg.
“We are working hard to get the college to allow a limited audience…to attend the Conservatory’s upcoming November and December concerts and have been advised to submit seating charts for approval,” said Strasberg.
If the seating charts are approved, conservatory audience members will be required to follow masking and social-distancing protocols and show a Cleared4 Access Pass.
A no-spectator policy is in place for Athletics at the college and some other CUNY campuses like Baruch.
“For sporting events, assigned seating and working with the general public is much more difficult to manage. Therefore, at this time, the college is not allowing spectators at games—similar to other CUNY campuses—while working to develop a system to allow for the safe return of fans in the near future,” Pietras wrote.
Some Brooklyn College students opine that frustrations against these ongoing differences in audience policies and cancelations are bound to happen.
“I think either everyone should have an audience, or no one should,” said Beckman. “It’s unfair for one department to be able to do live performances with an audience while another is not. Also, the whole point of having a live performance is to have a live audience.”