The College of Journalism and Interstellar Communications

Thirty-eight years ago, the College of Journalism and Communications (CJC) shot a radio signal into space. The signal’s destination was Eta Cassiopeiae, a star about 19 light years away from Earth with properties close enough to our sun that it could host alien life. As early as next month, if life in that solar system got that signal and had the technology to respond, we could get a response from our intergalactic pen pals.

But why did we do this? It all goes back to the 1980’s. Twenty years after moving into its new permanent home in Weimer Hall, CJC was starting to outgrow the building. Plans were created and funds were raised for a new expansion, which became the Flanagan Wing. The dean at the time, Ralph Lowenstein, was known amongst colleagues for being a showman, so he decided to organize a groundbreaking ceremony with a Sci-Fi twist. Satellite trucks were present to record the whole event, and after the guest speakers finished and shovels put away, he had the recording broadcast into space. There were a lot of questions, like how we would receive any responses or what would happen if we missed Eta Cassiopeiae altogether, but no matter what happened next, Lowenstein’s showmanship immortalized this momentous occasion.

At the time, the addition of the new wing was the largest renovation done to Weimer Hall yet. Named after Alvin Flanagan, a 1941 Telecommunication alum who was inducted into the CJC Hall of Fame in 1980, the wing cost $3.1 million and added about 30,000 square feet, roughly a third the size of the original building. Funds were provided by the Florida Department of Education, commercial income from WRUF and a donation by the late Joseph L. Brechner. It was originally built to house WUFT and WRUF studios and newsrooms, administrative offices and space for a Freedom of Information center. The expansion was also an opportunity to modernize Weimer Hall and prepare the college for the turn of the century, as before its construction, there were only two computers in the CJC newsrooms. For many, the combined spaces and new tech were a game changer, allowing for increased collaboration as CJC and WUFT began putting more emphasis on television and digital content.

In 2012, many of the WUFT studios housed in the Flanagan Wing moved to the newly completed Innovation News Center (INC), so now the wing primarily serves as office and classroom space. On the first floor, one can find Weimer Hall’s front desk, while the second floor houses the Division of Media Properties administrative offices and the dean’s offices. The third floor contains offices for faculty, the AHA Lab, a handful of meeting rooms, the Centers for Public Interest Communication and the STEM Translational Communication Center.

Today, nearly four decades after one of Weimer Hall’s biggest expansions, the college patiently awaits the signal’s response. Did anyone get our message? Even if they did, would they be able to respond? What if we just gave away our location to a hostile alien race? So many questions waiting to be answered.

Category: College News
Tagged: College History Flanagan Wing Ralph Lowenstein
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