Sajak and Arnn take part in the dedication ceremony in May. Courtesy | Mark Waters

Hillsdale College now has the capacity to produce more and improved video content after the opening of its new Sajak Visual Media Center on May 10.

“The great gift of the Sajak Visual Media Center will help us reach more and more people in order to teach America ‘the best of what’s been thought and said,’” Vice President for Institutional Advancement Bill Gray said. “Our students may have the opportunity to work alongside our video team as well as other professionals to help create this content and have a front-row seat to this critical part of our educational outreach.”

The dedication of the new Sajak Visual Media Center on the corner of Union Street and Fayette Street took place during commencement weekend in May, in coordination with Pat Sajak’s role as the 2024 commencement speaker. 

Sajak is chairman of Hillsdale College’s Board of Trustees and the former host of “Wheel of Fortune.”

“I had the chance to serve as the master of ceremonies of the event itself and had the blessing of being able to thank Mr. Sajak and his family for the gift,” Gray said. “Their leadership, along with the support of many other donors, made the building possible for the college.”

The Sajak Visual Media Center offers technology necessary for production and eventually will open for student use. 

“The size of the building allows us to keep multiple sets up simultaneously, increasing our capacity for production,” Executive Director of Visual Media Mark Waters said. “Productions so far have included online courses, K-12 videos, the ‘Larry Arnn Show’ podcast, and the short film ‘Last Days of a Revolutionary’ for Independence Day.”

The design itself contributes to the functionality of the building, according to Waters.

“The Sajak Visual Media Center is a ‘sound stage.’ As the name suggests, one of the most important attributes of the building is its ability to block outside noise from getting in and keep the inside noise from bouncing around,” Waters said. “High ceilings, smooth floors, silent climate control, and an abundance of electrical outlets are also crucial.”

The college’s expansion of its visual media efforts includes adding a second phase to the building in the years to come.

“In time, we plan to build an addition to the center that will house offices for the college’s visual media team and others involved in the outreach,” Gray said. 

Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé, highlighted the importance of the Sajak Visual Media Center for the college’s growth.

“It is a tool that will improve the efficient production of beautiful and sound content to help teach America,” Péwé said.

In addition to bringing education to America, Waters said the center will allow Hillsdale’s digital platform to increase as it produces more content than it could previously.

“We are currently developing various other series and formats in hopes of reaching a wider audience with Hillsdale’s deep well of educational content,” Waters said. “The primary purpose of all the videos produced by the college is education. Whether it’s a 30-second commercial or a 30-minute online course, the audience should be learning something valuable.”

According to Gray, the dedication event encompassed Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn’s vision for the future of the college’s marketing and media efforts.

“Dr. Arnn has asked us to build a mighty engine for teaching people at scale, and mass media is one of the most efficient ways to accomplish that,” Gray said. “It will never match the rigorous, exciting, and insightful teaching that students and professors get to do on campus — but it’s my hope that we can get closer and closer to that in the future.”