Physical Education Complex Groundbreaking Ceremony TV Coverage, (1980)

Channel 22 (Springfield, Mass.) · [1980?]

This is a Springfield Channel 22 news report video of the Groundbreaking Ceremony of Springfield College's new Physical Education (PE) Complex. It starts with a newscaster, Dave Madsen, announcing the story and then goes out to the site with Ed Kennedy reporting. The ceremony took place at the side of the Memorial Field House. The video shows Danielle Schiffer, a member of the Springfield College track team, who ran as part of a five-member relay team from City Hall to the campus construction site. Each of the members of the relay team ran a half-mile to deliver the baton which contained the building permit for the college’s new $5.3 million PE Complex. It also shows a part of President Wilbert Locklin's speech on the ceremony. The PE Complex at Springfield College was built to replace the Memorial Field House, which was demolished due to structural problems in May, 1979. At the time, the facility was the largest construction project in the college’s history. The video is recorded on a SONY 3/4 inch U-matic video tape JVC S type Videocassette. On the box of the videocassette, it says "Springfield College - Field House", which is why the item is placed in the Memorial Field House collection. On the videocassette, it is written "PARAMOUNT STUDIO FIRE" and "2-6-79", which have nothing to do with the content of the video since the ceremony took place on February 11, 1980. The PE Complex consisted of four distinct facilities: the Art Linkletter Natatorium, a graceful steel arch roof structure with an Olympic-sized pool, a part of the college since its official dedication on October 21, 1967; Blake Arena, a massive three-story dome measuring 180 feet in diameter and extending 44 feet above the playing surface that is still used as the main venue for basketball and volleyball among other activities; the Winston Paul Academic Center that includes two teaching gymnasiums (Dana Gymnasium and Kresge Gymnasium), a wrestling room (Douglas Parker Wrestling Room), and eight handball/ racquetball courts): and the Keith Locker and Training Facility. The Art Linkletter Natatorium, which originally opened in 1967, was connected to the other structures by a 95-foot “skywalk.” The total combined space of the PE Complex was 143,000 square feet. The $5.3 million building was funded by the Capital Campaign headed by Art Linkletter. The PE Complex was primarily an educational facility where students took classes in Physical Education, Sports Medicine, and Health Fitness in order to prepare them for “human helping professions,” such as YMCA executives, athletic trainers, and coaches. The PE Complex is now part of the new Wellness and Recreation Complex that was opened in 2008. The Wellness and Recreation Complex includes the Wellness Center, Field House, and Athletic Training/ Exercise Science facility, accounting for an additional 160,560 square feet of instructional, athletic, and recreational space. The video is recorded on a SONY 3/4 inch U-matic video tape JVC S type Videocassette. On the box of the videocassette, it says "Springfield College - Field House", which is why the item is placed in the Memorial Field House collection. On the videocassette, it is written "PARAMOUNT STUDIO FIRE" and "2-6-79", which have nothing to do with the content of the video since the ceremony took place on February 11, 1980; There was debate as to whether to move this video to the Physical Education Complex Collection, but it was decided it was best to leave where it was and allow the digital record allow for connection.;