Student Computing Designs and Builds New Presentation System at Stern Hall
by Allan Chen
Working with Residential Education, Student Housing, and the Resident Fellows and student staff at Casa Zapata House in Stern Hall, Student Computing has installed a presentation system designed to meet the needs of several student groups.
Why This Was Needed
Casa Zapata is not only the Chicano/Latino Theme House, but works closely with other groups such as MEChA de Stanford and El Centro Chicano in providing valuable programming for the Chicano/Latino community on campus. One of their primary activities is hosting presentation, speakers, and other activities in their lounge. However, the actual technological capabilities of the lounge did not meet the requirements of these activities - there was no projection system, no multimedia capability, nor was there appropriate lighting for large groups with spotlighting for speakers.
While a projector, screen, and speakers may seem a bit less flashy than some high-tech installations, the key component of this collaborative project was that a specific need was identified, and that the various groups worked together to build a space that met that need as exactly as possible. There is no sense in putting a collaborative, free-flowing area where traditional presentations are the dominant activity. What is critical is to identify what students and communities need in particular areas, and to design the best possible way to meet those needs.
What Was Installed
As such, the focus for Casa Zapata's system was to put in an easy-to-use, high-end and high-powered presentation system that would be durable and reliable. Specifically, Student Computing installed a projector with sufficient power for presentations that required leaving the curtains covering the large windows open. Included was a next generation control system that is highly configurable and therefore easy to use. Buttons are labeled with obvious names, and control of system components is all done "behind the scenes" so that users see as little of the complexity of the system as possible. Finally, the equipment was placed inside a lockable cabinet, so that Casa Zapata staff could control access to the system as needed.
Student Computing, Residential Education, and the Casa Zapata staff feel that this system fills a critical void for the Chicano and Latino community. Designing a system to properly and most effectively fill that void was the critical driving force for the project.
For More Information
For more information, contact Allan Chen, Educational Technology Manager for Student Computing, kaiyen@stanford.edu.
