RANDOLPH — The County College of Morris (CCM) Board of Trustees and Foundation Board of Directors hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, December 8, to celebrate the renovation of the Media Center and its naming in honor of late New Jersey Assemblyman Alex DeCroce.
Attending the celebration were members of the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders and other contributors to the foundation’s Visioning the Future campaign that helped to fund the center’s renovation. The Freeholders contributed $1 million from the county’s capital budget for the project. Another $900,000 was raised by the foundation in individual, corporate, private foundation and public support. Also in attendance to mark the opening of the Alex DeCroce Media Center were students, faculty and other members of the CCM community.
Prior to serving as an assemblyman, DeCroce served as a Morris County freeholder, as a CCM trustee and as Board of Trustee chair.
“As a result of the generosity of those who contributed to the campaign, we were able to create a state-of-the-art facility for the benefit of our students and local businesses,” said Dr. Edward J. Yaw, CCM president. “It is especially appropriate that this new center now is named in memory of Alex DeCroce who was such a strong proponent of education and a long-time supporter of the college through his many years of service as a Freeholder, on our Board of Trustees and as an Assemblyman.”
“‘An investment in knowledge pays the best interest’ said Benjamin Franklin,” noted Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce. “My husband, Assemblyman Alex DeCroce, knew that to be true and it served him well as a trustee and board chair at CCM. Our family greatly appreciates this recognition. We are so pleased that the investment into this state-of-the-art media center will serve not only the students but the community at large.”
“This greatly enhanced facility will improve what is already an outstanding communications and media program,’’ said Freeholder John Krickus, the county governing board’s liaison to CCM. “The freeholders’ continued investment in CCM, including $1 million the freeholders approved for this project, shows our continued support for this outstanding institution.’’
The new facility now features high-definition technology, a digital media editing classroom, scenery work room, two studio control rooms, a green room for guests, and a teaching studio and professional studio both with green screen cycloramas to create a variety of background images for videos.
The Alex DeCroce Media Center functions as a TV studio and classroom for students majoring in Broadcasting Arts and Technology or Communication. It also is a vital resource for faculty, staff and the community, providing multimedia support for a range of activities including classroom presentations, audio and video productions, sound and video for computer programs, and on-campus conferences. It also will be available to the area’s corporate and business community for the production of training, promotional and other videos.
The opening of the media center, which is located in the Sherman H. Masten Learning Resource Center (LRC), marks the final stage of renovation for that building. The LRC also houses the college library. Completed in 2014, the renovated LRC, which included the addition of a Starbucks coffee shop, has seen more than 100,000 visitors since its reopening.
Photo Credit: Farlekas Photography
