Fuzzy pictures and limited channels will remain the norm for most on-campus televisions following President Jon Westling’s refusal of a Student Union proposal to extend enhanced antenna service to all dormitories.
Union Residence Life Committee Chair and College of General Studies sophomore Jaron Friedman informed the Senate at last night’s meeting of the failed plan to install an enhanced antenna in all BU residences. Currently, only the Student Village has the enhanced antenna.
Friedman sent a letter to Westling in January and a detailed report of Student Village residents’ opinions of the enhanced antenna in February trying to convince Westling to install the new antenna. However, his attempts have failed.
In a letter addressed to Friedman, Westling cited the need to focus on education as well as the lack of quality reporting on broadcast television to support his claim that an enhanced antenna would not benefit the students.
“The years that students spend at the University ought to be an opportunity to reflect on questions that demand more complex consideration than television can provide, and to learn habits of community participation than easy access to high quality broadcasts might undermine,” Westling wrote.
Friedman said the channels available through the antenna would give students much needed “down time.”
“Students should take the chance to discuss issues and ideas with people who will often end up being friends for life,” Westling wrote. “I do not think we ought to encourage students to unwind instead by sitting silently in front of a television screen.”
Friedman said he wasn’t surprised by the decision, citing past stands by both Westling and Chancellor John Silber on the matter, but did question Westling’s reasoning.
“I felt like he should have reconsidered some of the points he made,” Friedman said. “He encouraged students across campus to partake in more academically minded things, and I think we do.”
Despite the focus of an enhanced antenna, Friedman said, his proposal also included utilizing the unused BU television channel.
Friedman said programming on the BU channel would include broadcasts of previous sporting events, lectures and even commencements, as well as preview upcoming events. The BU channel would also air student-produced shows.
“I wish he had reconsidered it and looked at the proposal for academic benefits based on the different majors the College of Communication has and the opportunities it would offer the COM students,” Friedman said.
Airing student-produced shows, according to Friedman, would not only increase the quality of the work but give those involved a sense of accomplishment.
“We have Bay State, which is the longest running college soap opera in the country, which comes out of COM, but no one sees it,” he said. “Also, the quality of the work that would come out of the students in COM if it were broadcast across campus would be highly increased.”
However, Friedman said the battle is over, indicating he will only continue to fight for the antenna if a massive student reaction is felt on campus.
“As a Student Union, I think we have said all we can right now for the enhanced antenna,” Friedman said. “I think what we would like to see now is if the students feel strongly about this then the students write their own letters to Westling. We have spoken as much as we can.
“The students need to take it from here. If enough students want it, then he has to reconsider his decision.”
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