Springfield College Renovates Weiser Hall Unveils New TV Studio, Journalism Lab
SPRINGFIELD, Mass., March 29, 2006 -- Springfield College unveiled its new television studio, journalism laboratory, and other highlights of its renovation of Weiser Hall at a ceremony today at 2:30 p.m. at the building on Wilbraham Ave. on the campus.
Cutting a ceremonial ribbon before an audience of college students, faculty, staff and invited guests, Springfield College President Richard B. Flynn said, “This renovated historic building, with its new state of the art communications equipment and facilities, will provide our students with the learning environment and tools to master communications skills for their future career success.”
The television studio and wireless journalism laboratory support courses in the college’s communications/sports journalism bachelor’s degree program. Other renovations include a computer-equipped writing laboratory and a classroom for first-year students’ required college writing course, classrooms for other humanities courses, and a conference room. The building is the new home of the college’s Humanities Department.
According to Assistant Professor of Communications Eric Covil, journalism students are learning to use the equipment and soon will begin producing programs for broadcast on the campus cable television station and the campus website. "This experience with state-of-the-art technology will better prepare our students to enter broadcast journalism jobs having the necessary skills of working with today's production and studio equipment," he said.
The studio is equipped with the latest audio and video production equipment, as well as three cameras, a green wall, and studio lighting. The journalism laboratory has wireless capability for faculty members to work with students on writing assignments. Computer programs allow students to practice writing for print and broadcast media, and to prepare submissions to national student writing and production competitions.
Professor Margaret Lloyd, Humanities Department chair, said that “This is a friendly student-centered environment where faculty and students work together. All of our first-year students come through this building for their required college writing courses. Centralizing the Humanities Department in this new home enhances the collegiality and coherence of the department, which facilitates the quality of our programs.”
Weiser Hall was constructed in 1923 as an infirmary and was converted over the years for academic uses. New renovations to the 10,600 square-foot building include improved handicap access, remodeled restrooms, the addition of another classroom, improved stairwells, and complete cosmetic updating, in addition to the installation of new journalism and computer equipment.
The renovation of Weiser Hall is the latest in a series of major campus improvements. Since 2002, Springfield College has constructed a new student suite-style residence hall, remodeled and expanded its Admissions Office, completely remodeled and expanded its student dining facility, converted Wilbraham Hall from a warehouse to a modern classroom building with a videoconferencing facility, remodeled the Brennan Center into a home for the School of Social Work and Conference Center, constructed two new synthetic turf multipurpose athletic fields, and made a host of ongoing grounds and facilities improvements, all designed to support academic programs and the college’s learning environment.
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from the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.
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