I lobbied for several years to get a large-screen TV in our lobby, believing that it would contribute to the linger phenomenon in that space, which in turn would contribute to the sense of community that students find here. We could, I argued, use such a TV for laptop-fed announcements and for cable TV content. Anything that keeps our students hanging out in our lobby, preferably speaking English, could contribute to the sense of value that they derive from their CELOP experience overall.
See the Comcast channel lineup for our combined packages.Prices on flat-screen LCD and plasma screen have come down dramatically, allowing us to install a 42" plasma screen in the lobby last fall. It has been used primarily for announcements run from a laptop at the Front Desk. We now also have an HDTV digital cable feed from Comcast, a package that includes basic cable TV channels plus a special sports package giving us most international soccer games.
We need to devise a usage and programming policy of some sort (what to show and when). Please let me know what you think using this form, and I’ll report back on the results. In the meantime, the Front Desk will manage use of the screen, mostly continuing to display program announcements and perhaps experimenting with some news and soccer. (If you have concerns about its use during this period, please let me know.)
