Kent State needs to shift its focus from recruiting new students to providing for current students, particularly in the art department

The Art Building is, hands down, the most confusing building on campus. Just locating an office inside it is an incredible feat.

Add to that the age of it and the wide dispersal of the art department, and it is high time for a change.

The university spends so much money trying to recruit new students by making Kent State look nice. Risman Plaza does look great, but it’s time to draw the focus from future students to current students.

We need facilities that back up the appeal of everything else. The need for improvements in the Art Building is painfully obvious.

It has such a grim appearance for the beautiful work produced inside.

Getting to many classrooms requires walking through a different one, often when class is in session. Students end up waiting in someone else’s class until their own starts. It is disruptive, awkward and unnecessary. The building is a huge maze.

Students should be challenged in the classroom, not in finding it.

The building is clearly dated. There have been problems with the roof leaking, which has damaged students’ work in the past.

The art department is spread through several buildings on campus. If it was centralized, it would be easier to find, visitors could come see galleries, faculty could see the success of other classes and students could see the work of their peers.

Centralization would also allow them to share resources.

One location can provide a sense of unity and pride in the school. Students should be able to feel like they are a part of a community, not just scattered around campus in substandard buildings.

The best way to draw students here is by adequately providing for current students. Word of mouth is the cheapest advertisement there is.

Bringing in new students is great. But that doesn’t mean maintaining facilities can become a second priority.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent State editorial board.