Numbers contradict dean’s denial of film school status

School of Speech Dean Barbara O’Keefe told The Daily on Feb. 18, “There is no local film industry in Chicago. We make films to be sure, but it’s not like New York and Los Angeles. It’s not strategically sensible to build a film school in Chicago. We’ve never had one, we don’t have one, and it’s very unlikely that we ever will.”

But Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley has said, “We want your business and will go out of our way to get it. Producers in every medium – from still photography to commercials, from student films to major motion pictures – have made Chicago their home. The opportunities for filmmaking in Chicago are endless.”

And this year, American Cinematographer Magazine named Northwestern’s radio-TV-film department one of the top nine film schools in the country. Consider the following statistics:

_Ѣ Amount Chicago film and video production officially estimated to add annually to local economy: $283 million.

_Ѣ Number of feature films shot in Chicago in 2000 and 2001: 51.

_Ѣ Number of TV pilots and series shot in Chicago in 2000 and 2001: 29.

_Ѣ Number of film and video production businesses listed in the Chicago metro area: 162.

_Ѣ Number of local film and video production guilds in Chicago: 17.

_Ѣ Approximate value of equipment devoted to R-TV-F production at NU: $1.25 million.

_Ѣ Amount of grant money awarded by Studio 22 for independent student production at NU each year: $24,000.

_Ѣ Number of Studio 22/Niteskool films to win Student Academy Awards and honors from the American Society of Cinematographers in 2001 and 2002: three.

_Ѣ Approximate number of man hours devoted by NU undergrads to independent production (outside of class) annually: 15,000 hours.

_Ѣ Number of years R-TV-F students have been protesting changes in the department: four.

_Ѣ Number of graduate and undergraduate R-TV-F students who somehow thought they were part of a film program: approximately 280.

You put the pieces together.

Stephen Deline

Speech sophomore

Taller buildings, not smaller Lagoon is key to more space

Every time I come up to Evanston from Chicago, it seems that there’s another high-rise construction project being started. Everywhere I turn, there’s another 10-story building going up.

That is, until I make it back to campus, where administrators seem to think it’s more responsible to occupy every last bit of open space with inefficient low-rise buildings and single level parking lots.

If Northwestern is so hard up for parking, why doesn’t it build a few more levels onto the South Campus parking garage? Sure, it would be ugly, but would it be worse than a campus without grass or a Lagoon?

The answer to NU’s space problem is to do what many other space-starved urban universities have done: Build up, not out.

Steve Maine

McCormick ’01

Star-spangled banner ought to hang correctly at SPAC

How can the American flag still be hung incorrectly in the Sports Pavilion and Aquatics Center?

After the events of Sept. 11, we have been inundated with scenes flying the flag. The correct way to vertically hang the American flag is with the blue field of stars in the upper left corner, as it is when hung horizontally. This is due to the blue field being the honor point, or the place on a flag where the greatest symbolism is placed. I believe SPAC must immediately rectify the situation.

The pool under the flag serves as a showcase for Northwestern during swim meets, and I would hate to have one facility’s lack of knowledge reflect on the rest of our school.

Michael Knop

Third-year computer science graduate student