School of Journalism to transform darkroom

To keep up with rapidly changing technology, the school of journalism will soon eliminate the age- old system of developing photos in a darkroom. \nFor Associate Professor Claude Cookman, a "romantic attachment" could be lost. Beginning during fall semester 2001, the School of Journalism will go digital to keep up with the latest technology. \nMany journalism schools around the country have gone digital, but most of the larger schools still use darkroom facilities. It is a bigger investment for larger schools to switch, School of Journalism Dean Trevor Brown said. For smaller schools, it is usually one or the other because of space and finances, he said.\nBrown said newspapers around the country have gone digital mainly because of the Internet. Journalists are required to have their stories or photographs ready within minutes of events to upload for the online version of the newspaper.\n"It was a tough call," Raymer said, "but the present and future is digital." \nRaymer, once a photographer for National Geographic, said he thinks it would be useful if students could learn darkroom techniques, but he realizes it is becoming a thing of the past. \nThe photo lab, on the first floor of Ernie Pyle Hall, will be renovated this summer to remove the darkroom and make more room for the broadcasting section. More computers and new equipment will be purchased with the help of private donors, Brown said. \nThe setup will allow students of all visual journalism fields to work in one area. Flatbed scanners and scanners that can scan 35mm film negatives will be available for student use. The editing machines broadcast students used previously have been replaced with a new digital video editing system -- Final Cut Pro, said Kara Alexander, photo lab manager.\n"We weren't servicing students for the world," Cookman said. She added that the loss of the darkroom and traditional photo developing and imaging is a great sadness, "but it was bound to happen." \nCookman recalled what former professor Will Counts said about technology.\n"'When technology becomes outmoded, it becomes an art form,'" Cookman said. \nDespite the move to digital processing, Cookman said artists will continue to use wet chemistry, the process of creating a picture in the darkroom. \nThe School of Fine Arts recently renovated its darkroom facilities, and Brown and the rest of the staff said they encourage journalism students to make use of those facilities. \nLast summer the School of Journalism started to make some changes and renovations, adding and upgrading some computers and software. The school also purchased some digital photography equipment, Brown said. \nBrown said the school's goal is "to lay a foundation for a career." He said journalists should be familiar with all the different mediums -- writing, editing, still photography and video.