VR STUDIO

ing a resolution in favor of the center, Facebook groups and message boards formed immediately.

“These were groups that were for and against the creation of the center,” Swallow said. “The biggest groups were the ones that were against. The content was just appalling, but I made good use of it. I cut and pasted from those and took out some that I wanted to ensure reached Holladay Hall. I put some

“Virtual reality is by its very nature kind of inaccessible … if you don’t have equal vision in your two eyes, if you don’t have a powerful desktop to develop things on, if you don’t have a range of motion that the VR companies designed for, suddenly you’re on the outside, looking in,” Keenan said. “You can’t really look at virtual reality very easily with three other people and see the same thing. And a library is all about sharing experiences, right? Light field displays to us feel like the multi-user version of virtual reality.”

Despite the futuristic connotation behind holograms, Washington said creating them is relatively easy. Most 3D images can be translated into holograms with minimal effort, along with pictures taken with cameras with LiDAR scanning technology, a feature that comes with new iPhones.

Wilkinson said much of the technology University Libraries uses to create holograms originates from the Triangle. One of Looking Glass’s founders is from Raleigh, and one of the main engines students use to create 3D images is Unreal Engine, which is developed by Epic Games in Cary.

Wilkinson said he has seen the newness and ultramodern undertone of holograms inspire artists on campus.

“It evokes in a lot of people that kind of thrill of experimentation that here’s a new thing we can try and see what works,” Wilkinson said. “There are people who I know have started to test game design … there’s people who have experimented with creating visual puzzles that only sort of look correct from a certain angle.” together and sent them over so they could see the worst of what was appearing.”

He said one post had stuck with him over the years.

“‘I was kind of undecided, but when I saw that over 500 people could rally together over Facebook to be against it, I became for it,’” Swallow read. “‘I’m not sure how much gays at NCSU need this center, but it’s something the rest of the population in

Keenan said beyond public art, LFDs have been used by NASA and MIT and are currently being used to display 3D medical imaging, such as MRIs.

“99.9% of 3D models ever made have only ever been seen in 2D because we’re looking at them on TV screens,” Keenan said. “It really makes you think about how much lost information is there.”

Keenan said the driving force behind University Libraries’ openness to new technologies like Looking Glass is due to the academic diversity at NC State.

“This is a really opportune university for multidisciplinary use of these technologies, not just engineering students having their hands on it, and not just designers having their hands on it,” Keenan said. “Working on those topics together — that’s what’s always excited us about it.”

Keenan said he invites all students to take advantage of University Libraries’ technology, whether their majors relate to digital design or not.

“If you’re a photographer, you’re already a hologram maker, if you’re a 3D modeler, you’re already a hologram maker,” Keenan said. “You’re about to see your project in the way it’s always been meant to be seen. We have thousands of hologram makers already walking around our campus and we’re excited to engage with them.” the area needs, apparently.’”

The student-made holograms are on display in the Innovation Studio in D.H. Hill Library and the Lawrence and Ella Apple Technology Showcase in Hunt Library.

To create your own hologram or use other technology owned by University Libraries, complete a University Libraries Technology Consultation form.

The center has made its mark on campus through the daily support it provides to countless students and through events like the Pride Walk, in recognition of National Coming Out Day, and the Lavender Graduation, a special ceremony that celebrates the achievements of LGBTQ individuals. The ceremony honors those of a gender identity which may not be recognized at NC State’s official commencement ceremony.

“As we celebrate today and look forward to the future, please know that we will continue to support the LGBTQ+ community,” Woodson said. “Pack pride means a lot to all of us, specifically today with the renaming of the center.”

Director of the LGBTQ Pride Center Charla Blumell concluded the evening with a toast.

“Thank you to everyone who poured into us, thank you to everyone who started and will continue this journey with us,” Blumell said. “We are now to be known, and hopefully for the foreseeable future, as the NC State LGBTQ Pride Center. Go Pack.”

More information about the LGBTQ Pride Center and its services can be found at diversity.ncsu.edu/glbt/home/