The Saint Rose Chronicle

Issue date: 1/20/10 Section: News

Johnathan Charette at the controls. Also pictured are the three television monitors used when recording.

Nick Curry on one of the three cameras. Each camera includes a tripod with a viewfinder on top used when filming.

When the construction of the new Center for Communications and Interactive Media began, The College of Saint Rose Communications department was faced with a challenge. With all new state of the art equipment ordered for the new television studio, the faculty had to decide the fate of the old facilities previously located on the first floor of Albertus Hall.

Paul Conti, Assistant Professor of Communications at Saint Rose, teaches several of the production courses in the department and was most familiar with the old studio and its encompassments. He says that the plan was always to donate the remnants of the previous studio.

"We wanted to make sure wherever we donated it, it would get use," says Conti.

Dan Fogarty, a graduate student at Saint Rose, was enrolled in one of Conti's production classes last semester, had a proposal for the benefaction of the old studio.

"He [Conti] was talking in class last semester about them moving into the new place, and I said 'well what's going to happen to the old equipment' and he said 'we're probably going to donate it or something,' so I said 'I know somebody who would absolutely love to have that equipment and utilize it to the fullest,'" said Fogarty.

Fogarty happens to be a former student and current substitute teacher at Catholic Central High School in Troy, New York, and he knew the kids there would be thrilled to receive the equipment. He brought his idea to Conti's attention, and after a discussion with the CCHS principal, the wheels were set in motion for the donation of the old studio.

"As soon as the students got it they were totally ecstatic and couldn't wait to delve into it," said Fogarty who was substituting at CCHS on the day the equipment was delivered.

Prior to receiving the old studio, the students at CCHS had a single camera set up in a small room where they would record the morning announcements, which were broadcasted on the televisions located in every classroom. When the equipment arrived the students immediately began to put together what they could in the Conference Room, a larger space that is capable of holding all of the gear.

"The first day the stuff was there, they got two of the cameras working and did an afternoon announcement special because they were so excited, they wanted to try out the equipment," said Fogarty.

The donation included three cameras, a switchboard, three small television monitors, headsets, and lights. Nearly $200,000 was originally spent on this equipment when Saint Rose purchased it, and Fogarty realizes the impact this contribution will have on the students at CCHS stating, "When you're struggling with funds and you get something like this, it's something you would never think about; that's why it's so huge."

Currently, CCHS has a club that holds the morning announcements, but with the addition of this studio, they're planning to create a production class for students starting next year. This way the students can use the equipment to create a morning show where they can interview guests and air sporting events.

CCHS junior, Nick Curry, has already tried out all the new gadgets and says, "This is helping me to understand how technology works and what it can be used for."

Fellow classmate, senior, Johnathan Charette is also excited to utilize the studio to the fullest admitting, "I want to become an expert in using all this equipment."

Conti says he invited the students from CCHS to come take a look at the new CCIM building sometime in the near future, but until then Fogarty asserts, "They are so appreciative of Saint Rose and so happy that they were able to donate this to them."

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