Simulcast Brings President's Speech to Students

The simulcast was made possible by ASUCD, the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of University Relations, and Information and Educational Technology. Photo by Jim von Rummelhoff
The simulcast was made possible by ASUCD, the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of University Relations, and Information and Educational Technology. Photo by Jim von Rummelhoff, IET Mediaworks

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  • When President Clinton recently made a stop at UC Davis (by way of the Mondavi Center's Distinguished Speakers Series), he announced his resolve to, "make [himself] available to students when [he] visits college campuses." As it became clear that only about 300 of the 1800 ticket-holders for Clinton's speech at the new performing arts center were students, a couple of campus units stepped up to help the 42nd President keep his word.

    Freeborn Hall became host to a crowd of 650 people (mostly students) and a live video-feed telecast of President Clinton's address. Since so many Mondavi tickets went to season ticket holders and "special guests," many students had to camp out overnight to compete for the few remaining tickets made available to students. There were waiting lists, long lines, and upwards of 30 dollars on the price tag. For those students who didn't feel like camping out overnight or just plain couldn't afford it, the Freeborn simulcast was a relief.

    Plugging in to the President
    A lot of preparation went into the simulcast event. Besides the funding, planning, and special security measures, Information and Educational Technology (IET) had its hands full laying the groundwork for a smooth live video feed that would meet the crowd's expectations and the Secret Service's requirements. A Communications Resources (CR) team laid three fiber-optic feeds that would transmit the speech via live video. One feed would do the job, but they configured three to ensure multiple back-ups in the event of a technical problem or last minute change. Doug Hartline, CR Director, and his crew set up the fiber-optic lines between the Mondavi Center, the video team's production vehicle, the high-powered news-satellite truck, and Freeborn Hall, where a new video system with specialized projectors beamed Clinton onto a 20-foot screen for the anxious crowd.

    Due to security regulations set by the President's Secret Service team, back-up sites for the production trucks had to be established. "And we did have to use our plan-B locations," Hartline explains. "We also set up dedicated land phone lines at all production sites in case of cellular phone problems," Hartline says. The cell phones that production crews often rely on during events like these became inoperative shortly before the President's appearance: although not confirmed, it appears that the Secret Service may have jammed local cell phones for safety measures.

    IET Mediaworks provided the live two-camera videotaping of the event. From the control room of the Mondavi Center, Mediaworks also fed a separate video and audio signal through another switcher to a second dedicated fiber link to Freeborn Hall, in case power in the production truck was lost.

    The Audience Response

    Immediately after the speech, the audience at Freeborn was treated to an in-person visit from Clinton. Photo by Jim von Rummelhoff, IET Mediaworks<
    Immediately after the speech, the audience at Freeborn was treated to an in-person visit from Clinton. Photo by Jim von Rummelhoff, IET Mediaworks.
    ASUCD entertainment director and student Andrea Chalupa had a ticket to view Clinton's speech at the Mondavi Center. However, when she heard about how many students were still hoping for Mondavi tickets to Clinton's speech, she joined the simulcast efforts and even, impressively, initiated the arrangement that brought Clinton in-person for a 20-minute surprise visit to Freeborn after the speech (for more details and photos, visit http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/clinton/.)

    Needless to say, Chalupa gave away her Mondavi ticket and opted to stay at Freeborn. Even before Clinton's in-person appearance, Chalupa says the telecast created a unique experience of the speech: "On the 20-foot screen, Clinton was a huge figure," she recalls. Chalupa remarks on the youthful air of excitement in Freeborn: "We could hear the Mondavi audience's reaction to Clinton's address and I noticed that we were laughing and cheering about different things."

    Well after the big event, the speech is being made available to an even wider audience, thanks to the Mediaworks videotaping. UCTV is still running the tape so that others can benefit. To check listing times for the month of December, or to view the speech online, you can visit http://www.uctv.tv/. (You will need Real Player-- which is downloadable for use at http://realplayer.com/-- to view the event online). ¤

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