COVID-19 tests are a necessary part of life these days, but, let’s face it, they are no fun. Since early 2021 The PAC Lobby has been hosting Purchase College’s COVID-19 Testing Center. The PAC’s Front of House staff have put their stellar organizational and crowd control skills to good use, making sure that the process of testing over 1,300 students, faculty, and staff each week flows smoothly.

Meanwhile, Director of Production Christy Havard has been spearheading efforts to make the space calming and welcoming, so that the testing experience can be as painless as possible.

While we can’t offer Yo-Yo Ma, there is always music playing, highlighting performances by Conservatory of Music faculty and students. Plans for transforming the big blank panels in our lower lobby into an installation to showcase work by Art+Design students are also underway.

And just last week, PAC Lighting Supervisor Peter Wylie (pictured below) added his own touch to the space, creating and donating two custom-made GOBOs* that are now being used to project positive messages onto the walls.

While we do wish that we were inviting you here for live performances instead of for testing, for the time being, we are proud to be able to play such a key role in allowing the campus to operate safely and provide the best possible experience for our students. We are in this together.

*A GOBO is a small stenciled circular disc, used in lighting fixtures to create a projected image or pattern. The term “GOBO” is short for “Go Between Optics,” describing the location where it needs to be positioned in the light path of a lighting fixture.