Martin Hall
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The oldest building on campus might have the newest look.
Originally known as University Hall, Martin Hall was completed in 1870 and was the first building on the West Virginia University campus. Now, the building still stands strong as it houses the Reed College of Media.
This year, for its 75th anniversary, the college decided to celebrate in style by renovating their building as well as its curriculum.
“I believe this is the most exciting time in the school’s history,” said Maryanne Reed, Dean of the Reed College of Media. “This is the 75th anniversary of the school. We are coming out with our new name, our new curriculum, our new facilities and our vision for the future.”
On July 1, the school, formerly known as the P.I. Reed School of Journalism, officially changed its name to Reed College of Media, but the changes certainly didn’t stop there.
“The name reflects the diversity of our programming, our focus on the future and our growth is size and stature,” Reed said.
The interior of the building underwent many significant changes. The biggest change is the addition of the Alexis and Jim Pugh Media Innovation Lab. The lab is complete with flexible spacing and access to modern media technology. The room is a laptop-specific space set up with student work stations where students can project their work directly from their laptops onto smaller screens for their group to see, or even on the large screen in the front of the room.
Also in the lab, is a “Digital Media Bridge”. The bridge allows for real time social media updates and streaming data for faculty to incorporate into their lessons.
Along with the updated technology, the design of the room is also incredibly modern. The decor consists of exposed ceilings and pipes, comfortable seating and an area that still has an open look to it. The room has been described as having the feeling of a coffee shop environment…
