Led by Troy Senkiewicz ’98, the McEwen building has been rewired to allow Elon Student Television to broadcast in high definition.
*****
The School of Communications hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday morning to thank an alumnus and business executives who made possible the school’s transition to high-definition, tapeless video recording and editing.
School of Communications Dean Paul Parsons and Christopher Waters ‘94, Elon University’s assistant chief information officer, led the ceremony in Studio A of the McEwen building, which featured alumnus Troy Senkiewicz ’98, owner of the California-based DigiMax Consulting and the person who worked closest with vendors to secure donated material.
The rewired building brings state-of-the-art broadcasting technology to Elon University students and to Elon Student Television. Students can now record in high-definition without using tapes, which streamlines a production process that results in superior television images.
The many yards of cable, installed late this past summer in both studios A and B in McEwen, was provided by GEPCO International, a division of General Cable Technologies Corporation. GEPCO supplies cable for a significant portion of the world’s broadcasting and entertainment industry. The donation of the cable, plus Senkiewicz’s services, which also were provided for free, bringing Elon’s total savings to more than $20,000.
In addition, the university saved tens of thousands of dollars by purchasing high-definition Sony cameras through an agreement Senkiewicz brokered with ClarkPowell, a national audiovisual company with offices in Winston-Salem, N.C.
“It was the access to equipment and the latest technology that gave me the education for starting my own business,” Senkiewicz said of the resources and labor he donated and secured from others for the project. “This project has given me the opportunity to give back to Elon and allows others to do the same.”
Senkiewicz’s television career began nearly two decades ago as a production assistant for Elon Student Television. In fact, he was one of the first students Waters hired upon joining the university staff.
Associate Professor Vic Costello, chair of the Faculty Technology Committee in the School of Communications, said the resources and time Senkiewicz and corporate partners gave to the university will be invaluable to students.
“Cable is one of those non-glamorous components to television production, hidden in the walls and running along the floor, but it’s quite essential for an HD facility,” he said. “It’s great that we have alumni like Troy who can partner with us on projects like this.”
At a luncheon immediately following the ribbon cutting, Waters thanked influential corporate partners and individuals that made the conversion a success:
Marty Meredith, Sony Corporation
Gary Bennett, ClarkPowell
Steve Harris, ClarkPowell
Joe Zajac, General Cable/GEPCO
Brian Lamar, General Cable/GEPCO
Brad Pope, General Cable/GEPCO