PTV RELOCATINGBY STEPHANIE SPENCER The new PTV studio in Campus Center North, which is barely large enough to fit a small classroom, is currently cluttered with taped boxes, stacked chairs, and other pieces of equipment. Upon entering the studio, Zack Brady’s sense of disappointment was apparent. Last semester, PTV enjoyed a threeroom-studio in Campus Center South, a space that Brady, the Business and Communications Manager of PTV, described as “beautiful.” “Nice, huge studio space for shows, decent sized control room, big meeting space, and another good space for our computers and stuff,” Brady recalled. The new studio was given to PTV in 2007 after students advocated moving from their dingy, tight space in the basement of Campus Center South. According to the PSGA, the new space was considered temporary, and therefore was never included on the record as the official studio. When it was announced early last year that the Humanities building would be closing because of asbestos, the unofficial studio of PTV was the first to be replaced to make room for five to six professor offices. “When they were discussing the new space in Campus Center North they said, ‘This is your permanent space, you don’t want to move any longer, this will be where you’re permanently at,’” said Brady. “I looked at them and said ‘That’s not happening, the space is not adequate for a television studio!’” PTV’s sudden move to their new location has complicated many aspects of their upcoming seasons. Basic operations such as live-streaming
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have been halted because Wi-Fi hasn’t been set up and won’t be finished for another two months. The most challenging part is the effect the smaller space will have on the appearance of their shows. The size and layout of the new studio only allows for considerably less audience members, whereas shows such as Purchase Late Night seated, on average, up to 30 audience members. Mike Cronin, a sophomore Arts Management major, plans on utilizing the website to put out popular skits and interviews for people who miss the show, but is still confused by the move. “The college is facing some issues with the money, it’s great that they’re doing these renovations, but they needed space, and it’s like why did you have to pick our space to take away,” said Cronin. “It’s the least cost-affective to dismantle our studio and reconstruct it in another room.” Brady added, “I would like to say that it’s a funny joke, that it’s laughable, that it’s unexpected that this school is throwing us under the bus. The fact is that the students are very artistic minded people, we always have been.” When asked to comment on the issue, however, Schwartz claimed to not be involved in the decision. “I didn’t overlook it. It is not something that I get involved in,” Schwartz said in an email. “I was aware of it. The PSGA and Student Affairs deals with spaces for student clubs.”