Montclair State University students, alumni and staff will have the opportunity to witness the soft launch of The School of Communication and Media’s (SCM) new streaming platform — Hawk Plus, the week of April 11.
When we hear the words “streaming platform,” the first thing that comes to mind is likely one of those which you already use on a daily basis as a means to procrastinate your schoolwork. But what if you could procrastinate just as well (if not even better) while tuning into some of the best media Montclair State has to offer?
Most students at Montclair State know what it’s like to jump all over different social media platforms, YouTube pages and live streams to see their friends in their shining moments. In seeing this issue students know all too well, professor and clinical specialist at the SCM Mark Effron took the initiative to give students exactly what they needed.
“I was thinking about all of the different forms of media we have on campus,” Effron said. “And it occurred to me that there wasn’t one place where it all comes together.”
Professor and clinical specialist at the SCM, Mark Effron, came up with the idea for Hawk Plus.
Emma Caughlan | The Montclarion
Whether it be a football game, a live performance at Alexander Kasser Theater or one of the many special events on campus, with a schedule packed with classes and hours of studying, it can feel impossible to be everywhere at once.
Hawk Plus presents the perfect solution to this frustrating situation — a place where students will not only be able to live-stream their favorite things but a place to look back to and watch Montclair State media whenever they please.
This is an absolute game-changer, especially for the many students whose families rarely get to see their moments of stardom while they are away at college.
As Hawk Plus starts up soon, students will be able to start viewing live-streamed events all over campus, listen to WMSC’s “Morning Buzz” and catch up on all on-campus athletics with Red Hawk Sports Network’s “Inside the Nest.”
This new service has not only opened up the opportunity for students to watch their five seconds of fame 100 times over, but it creates a plethora of opportunities for students inside the SCM as well.
Senior television and digital media major Joseph Giordano, a Hawk Plus intern, received an irreplaceable experience of learning and growth while working on this project.
Giordano was able to fully learn the ins and outs of what goes into launching a streaming service (not to mention one of the first launched within a university). His role in this project has been nothing short of crucial as he continues to spend his time searching for and providing content for Hawk Plus.
“Students will finally be able to have one place to view all of these things that they’ve been continuously producing,” Giordano said.
Senior television and digital media major Joseph Giordano is a Hawk Plus intern.
Photo courtesy of Joseph Giordano
As time goes on, the SCM will begin to work on creating their own content to produce and stream, which will be accessible to all of the students of Montclair State, as well as alumni, staff, family and friends.
Junior journalism and digital media major Ryan Breyta, the senior producer of Montclair News Lab, is especially excited for the opportunities to come as Hawk Plus continues to grow and evolve.
“Hawk Plus is going to be a great opportunity for Montclair State students to get involved in,” Breyta said. “To say you’re working on a streaming service is amazing, especially in college. Hawk Plus is going to prepare students to work for companies like Disney, Paramount and Hulu, and I think that sets us apart from many other universities.”
Junior journalism and digital media major Ryan Breyta is excited for the opportunities to come as Hawk Plus continues to grow and evolve.
Photo courtesy of Ryan Breyta
As Hawk Plus launches in the next couple of weeks, students can look forward to accessing all kinds of media on campus — some they may not have even known existed. You can keep up with the new streaming platform on their Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts @hawkplustv.
