Hello, my name is Cara Stedman and my co-op job is with Antioch College’s Media Services Department. This is different from the college’s media arts department. Instead of working with the equipment that the students and media classes use I work with the equipment for the events around the college. I help handle requests that professors, staff, or students submit for events they would like to hold around the college. This is including but is not limited to providing microphones, speakers, camera recordings, and projectors. This job also includes maintaining media services equipment in the college like checking classroom projectors are working and none of the other equipment needs servicing.
During co-op, I have been able to work many events around the college. I think my favorite task has been helping the college with their brand-new live stream equipment and events. Recently, the college invested in equipment and software that would allow us to live stream major events to YouTube. This gives the ability for the people who know of the college and events to watch without having to be there. My favorite live stream event was streaming the World House Choir’s performance at the Foundry Theater. During this event, I ran the computer side of things such as making the stream go live and queuing up any additional viewing material for before and after the performance.
One of these events also inspired me to hold my own event next year. An alumni of the college that is currently in graduate school came and gave a seminar and discussion on ableism. This is the discrimination of people with disabilities. I was there to provide mics and worked behind the camera to produce a video recording of the event. I now wish to hold a community discussion on the discrimination of people with mental illness.
These are only a couple of the inspiring events I have attended and provided equipment for. I also did many more. I helped live stream and provide a mic set up for an indigenous water protectors panel. I provided mics for a community meeting and SOPP/Title IX training. I set up mics and speakers for an event at Hernon Gallery.
The Media Services department is very important to the college and so is my job. It is the goal of Antioch to be inclusive and professional. We are an established college and want the ability to hold professional events and have working classrooms. This would not be possible without the specialization of this department to ensure the college has all the equipment is needs for these events.
My work outside of the events is slightly less exciting but just as important and educational. As I said, I conduct regular room checks on the classrooms, checking each cord and ensuring video and audio works on the projectors. Additionally, my boss David Adkins has put me to work updating the equipment inventory for Media Services. This includes sorting and cataloging all equipment like microphones, cables, speakers, mixers, and much more. This inventory will be important data for the college.
I have been enjoying this job because it isn’t too far out of my comfort zone. In high school, I did a lot of work in IT and engineer. This job is still within the realm of technology experience but is more focused on the kind of equipment I could be handling when it comes to my career. One day I want to work in the world of Media Arts, English, and Performance Arts. So, in turn, working with media arts equipment from a technological standpoint is both allowing me to branch out for experience with my degree and continue building on skills I already have.
