Sitting somewhat between the College Memorial Library and Bowman-Oates Hall was the Communication Building, constructed at some point between the 1970s and 1980s. It was just over a decade old by the time I arrived (approaching fifteen years, maybe) and therefore in certain nooks and crannies still had that new building smell. As time went by, the building went from being a strictly classroom building to one where I – as well as a handful of other students – lived, worked, ate, and, once, slept. I don't recommend sleeping in a classroom building.
The Communication Building was constructed on the site of the old Eleemosynary Building. A boxy, cream-yellow brick building, it was unclear whether the Eleemosynary Building name was colloquial or official, but it was the only name the building was remembered by in the 1990s. Don’t for a minute think that the building was remembered fondly a decade after its removal – it wasn’t. It remained in memory only because there was an aerial photograph of the old quadrangle in the foyer of the Communication Building with a note explaining what had since been removed. The old Eleemosynary Building was demolished during a time that the administration discovered they had a lot of aging, sagging, and weary looking structures and presumably decided to put them out of their misery. Once most of the historic and beautiful eyesores were removed, empty lots were created on most of the property, with the unusual decision to build something at the southern end – and thus the foundation was set for the Communication Building.
Inhabitants of the building during my time liked to point out the ironic lack of communication between the instructors, the classes, and the competing programs housed within the building (i.e. the Communication and Journalism programs). Early inhabitants, however, had their own tale to tell, specifically the lack of communication in getting the building off the ground, or at least out of the ground. The original four walls each was built and then rebuilt at least twice because of a combination of faulty supplies, air pockets in the concrete, and someone's insistence to not use a straightedge. Assembly continued once the walls were constructed properly and sat perfectly perpendicular.
Let's take a walk around inside, shall we?
Broadcast studios for both the radio and television station were located prominently on the ground floor of the building, easily noticeable and accessible when you walked in the north entrance. As a freshman, this would be my first time around a radio station. Prior to this I only had listened to radio stations, had seen pictures of radio stations, and watched bits of pieces of some radio stations on television programs. But I had never actually seen a radio station up close and personal and likewise never set foot inside one. Therefore my introduction to the control room was a little daunting – while it was a little exciting to see one working up-close at the same time it was a little nerve-racking to know that students were responsible for everything that went over the air. And I was a student.
From that north entrance clockwise along the outer wall (following the trail of two-tone Berber carpet) were faculty offices, the mid-sized television studio, a staircase to the second floor, the small-sized television studio, a seldom used "production room," the elevator, and then a deep closet of electrical equipment few students ever saw. Turning a corner and down a long, dim hall were the first of four small audio production rooms along the eastern wall, a small classroom, and something called the "newsroom." Turning the corner again into a shorter hallway along the south wall were three or four faculty offices. This exited out into another long hall: one direction took to you to more stairs and more faculty offices, including the department head, and the other took your back to the north entrance. The western edge of the building housed the large television studio, which was more or less home to all the programs on Community Channel Seven.
The radio station, then, was in an island of smaller rooms and offices in the center of the floor. FM 89's main studio had two large glass windows looking out to the north and west; to its immediate south was something else called the "newsroom," and the aforementioned Music Library (see It's like you're always stuck in second gear). The rest of the "island" had production rooms or offices, accessible from either the main western or eastern hallway.
It was the main studio that was really where it was at. It grabbed your attention with the two panes of glass, drawing your gaze inward at the DJ on duty, sitting amongst all the various equipment – a cartridge machine, some CD players, two turntables, and a microphone. Just clap your hands, clap your hands.
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Communication
(Jeff Ott)
Fifteen
From the album Choice of a New Generation
1994
Where have all the good times gone, when we were together, and life was fun
I wanted to give you the Moon and the Sun, and share my life with someone
I didn't want to change your life, I just wanted affection, not a wife
I didn't want to steal your individuality, and it wasn't just about sexuality
I used to think of your smile to myself
But now my life's a guessing game
Communications, broken down, Communications, broken down
My head is spinning round+round you pick me up then push me right back down
I just wish things could be the same, I know they can't go on this way
Sitting here on my birthday, wondering what can I do or say
To bring your friendship back my way, A million times I want to say
If you didn't feel so far away: I'd be picking flowers for you again today
But if you leave me in the dark today: I'll just have to be on my way
Hoping, you'll follow, my trail of tears, to work things out someway
