Student Multimedia Services: Who We Are
By: Chad Hays
Posted on: December 30, 2021
I remember the first time I heard about Student Multimedia Services (SMS) during my time chasing a BFA. It was fall term 2016 and I was talking to a cup of coffee in Applied Media Aesthetics (NMC 241). The instructor was introducing a new project and in a “blink and you’ll miss it” moment they let slip that there was a place in the library that would let me check out the equipment that I needed for free. I, like many students, was strapped for cash and working in a textile warehouse for minimum wage so the idea of getting my hands on production equipment free of charge was enticing.
When I walked into SMS it was clear to me that the space had been undersold by the teacher. I had been told about the equipment check-out, but the scope of SMS was much broader than that. This wasn’t just a place for students to check out equipment, it was the most underrated resource for creative students on campus. There were workspaces, posters being printed, rumors of studio spaces available, and staff that were ready to help teach me how to use these new tools.
Jumping forward one year, I find myself in an audio booth across the table from the staff at SMS, Teresa and Hayden. In the middle of the table is a copy of my resume, marked with highlighter (which I found out later was a good thing). A week later I had a shiny new badge and ID card to show off. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this was the beginning of an interesting journey with the various media departments at OSU. A proverbial “foot in the door” that would lead to numerous opportunities both as a student and a staff member.
The work I did with SMS had me wearing many hats and was never a boring job. It seemed like everyone and their grandma’s dog knew that we did large format poster printing, but the work that I saw as the most valuable was the project consulting that we provided. Teresa and Hayden had made sure to cover all their bases when it came to the student team. If you didn’t know how to do something, there was a good chance that one of the student staff members in the office would be able to help you. Kendall was the go-to graphic designer, Kurt would answer your questions about color-correcting, and if you need help with video you could grab just about anyone.
Today, two years after my last day with SMS, I’m sitting in the Media Services office as a new hire writing this post. I have since had the opportunity to stroll over to SMS and, while the student staff has completely turned over, there are a few things that remain the same. If you need a poster printed, a space to record, production equipment, or someone to walk you through the production process, the staff at SMS is still here for you and ready to help.
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