Music in the Leung Gallery: The most passive aggressive war ever
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, THERE IS MUSIC IN THE LEUNG GALLERY. S.O.S. ABORT MISSION!Sorry, let's start over on a calmer note.If you've spent time in Leung lately (or follow our Instagram), you've probably noticed that there are occasions where someone randomly turns on music and walks out. Some students pop in their headphones or shoot death stares at the speaker. While a couple people actually get up and move to a different space, the overwhelming majority of students ignore it. The first time we experienced this phenomenon we assumed a) we were unknowingly partaking in a social experiment, or b) Our lives finally got their own motion picture soundtrack, and no one else could hear it. After, further investigation it was evident that other people could hear it and that SAO was pulling the strings.Last year, they conducted research after a number of students complained to them about the Leung being "primarily a quiet space." To clarify: While the Leung Gallery is not officially designated as a quiet space, and there have always been university sponsored events held there from time to time, even freshmen know that the only thing consistently audible in that room is the sound of silence (not the Simon and Garfunkel song), and maybe someone noisily chomping on potato chips.Following the complaints, SAO held an open forum. They released an electronic survey, put up call and response posters in Faunce, and met with various groups on campus to elicit feedback on how the space should be used.The campus was divided . . . Seriously, it was about 50/50, so they formed an advisory board with students on both sides of the argument, and that is how we ended up with an sporadically utilized "online music system." These changes were announced beforehand in various sources, including Brown Morning Mail. (Moral of this story; we should all read Morning Mail more frequently.)At the present, each table in Leung has a slip like the one below:
Despite extensive prior notice (through select venues) and a very limited schedule (Tuesdays/Thursdays 5 pm - 8 pm, and Saturdays 1 pm - 5 pm), people are not taking it well. Here is the thread from WTF Brown, UCS' forum for students to voice suggested improvements to the University.
Although the immediate backlash seems to indicate that this issue has an easy fix, the reality is more complicated. If about half of the student population felt uncomfortable with the unofficial quiet space, then SAO had good reason to address that disparity. Additionally, most of the students who study in Leung are those who approve of it as a quiet space, so of course they're upset at the mildly disruptive soundtrack. The issue only seems one sided because the other end of the argument isn't present in the room, quite literally. A commenter on WTF Brown brings up a good point about student reactions to the music and what it bodes for the future of the space."[Leung Gallery] stays a silent study space, just a harder one to focus in. No one suddenly becomes social. It still does not feel like an atmosphere it would be acceptable to talk in, because people are still studying."How can we best remedy this divide in preferences? Who is in charge of the playlists and can we convince them to stream Bear Tracks? Where will we nap in between classes?!This battle over the atmosphere of the Leung Gallery rages on in both a fierce and extremely passive aggressive manner - as it is waged almost solely over silent gazes and strongly worded emails. With no one else to turn to, we tried interviewing the only entity with true authority: the Leung Family portrait. They had nothing to say on the matter, probably because they are an inanimate object AND because this obnoxious lamp was blocking most of their faces.
If one thing is certain, there can be no peace while this lamp remains in position.Images via Caitlin Dorman '16 and WTF* Brown.