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The Mass Media department will begin relocating to the old bookstore building this Friday. The facility will officially open January 2011.

Mass Media to move to new building

The new mass media building is set to open in January and is located in the old university bookstore on Patterson Street. Photo by The Spectator
 The Mass Media department will begin relocating to the old bookstore building this Friday. The facility will officially open January 2011.
 Currently, the Mass Media classrooms and faculty are divided among several academic buildings. However, the move will allow all Mass Media teachers and classes to be in the same vicinity.
 “We’re spread out a bit for our program,” Frank Barnas, professor of broadcast journalism, said.  “It’s going to be wonderful to have everyone under the same roof.”
 Dennis Conway, professor of video production, screenwriting, and sports broadcasting, is also keen on having all professors and students together in the same building.
 “We’re going to be all together, which will be nice,” Conway said. “We can finally talk to each other. We’ll have a better sense of community.”
 Although the Mass Media faculty will begin moving into the building this Friday, equipment will not be moved over until October. Classrooms will be the very last to move.
 “Although we are moving things during the semester, it won’t impact classes or programming in a negative way,” Barnas said.
 Along with the move, the Mass Media program will also be improving their technology.
“We’re upgrading our technology substantially, with high-definition cameras and green screens in our larger production studios,” Barnas said. “We’re going to quadruple our video editing facility, double our audio technology and add a new audio studio for recording bands.”
The building will comprise of 10 offices and will house two new studios, along with a small theatre. In addition, the journalism lab will be larger.�
 “The facility is new, larger, and more spacious,” Conway said. “It is very well air-conditioned. There will be better storage facilities. Our offices are going to be a little smaller, but I’m fine with that.”
Barnas feels that the transition is important for the program.
“The Mass Media program has won national awards from the three primary organizations within the past decade,” Barnas said. “As a national recognized program, it’s heartening that people see us in a state-of-the-art facility.”
While there won’t be any new classes added to the curriculum, the larger space and additional technology will allow professors to expand and improve on the classes that are currently offered to students.
Not only are the professors excited, but the students are looking forward to the move.
“I hear that it’s supposed to be really nice,” Sydney Chicoine, senior Mass Media student said. “I’m sure that all the professors are really excited. The new facility is definitely much needed. We’ll have an easier environment to work in. We won’t have to share space with people who aren’t in our program anymore.”�
The location of the Mass Media building isn’t the only thing that will be different.
 “We are also getting a new trailer for the sports cast workshop,” Conway said. “Right now, it’s located near the parking deck and tower. It will be moved right next to the new building.”
As of now, the new Mass Media building has no name.

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