Wallis Annenberg Hall officially opens

USC held the opening ceremony for Wallis Annenberg Hall on Wednesday with speeches from Dean Ernest Wilson III, President C.L. Max Nikias and namesake Wallis Annenberg.

 

The 88,000-square-foot building serves as the flagship facility for the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. It has been open to students since the start of the fall 2014 semester and offers a combined platform for print, television, online and digital journalism with a mission to provide a comprehensive education for Annenberg students.

Dean Wilson opened the ceremony by expressing his pride and gratitude for the new facility.

“Thank you to the team that helped translate blueprints into the glorious building you see in front of you today,” he said.

He emphasized that instead of isolating people from one another, technology should encourage collaboration.

“We saw the need for 21st century spaces that are not containers, but are connectors, that are places of innovation, not inhibition,” Wilson said.

Varun Soni, dean of Religious Life, said that narrative plays an important role in creating one’s own stories.

“We don’t control nature or nurture in our lives,” Soni said. “We are the authors of our own narrative and we are constantly writing the pages of our story.”

Soni encouraged the students of Annenberg to transform storytelling in the age of digital media.

“May Annenberg continue to shine as a global beacon for the arts,” Soni said.

Echoing Wilson, Nikias centered on ways that the new building will allow for greater collaborative processes.

“You see how beautiful the building is?” he said. “I tell everyone it gives us a thousand years of history we don’t have in its looks. It is full of open spaces that encourage liberation.”

Nikias said that the building’s central location held significance.

“This building stands at the heart of our university, and that is no coincidence,” Nikias said. “In the digital age of journalism, communication lies in the heart of human connectivity. Here, students will balance the demands for instantaneous information with the time-tested tradition of storytelling.”

Wallis Annenberg then spoke to inspire students to make the best use of the new building. The philanthropist focused on the new era of journalism, and encouraged students to make the most of it.

“This is your playground. This is your place to take risks. This is your place to test what works and [what] doesn’t,” Annenberg said.

She spared no words in describing her pride in the building, highlighting how well the newsroom stands among other local facilities.

“USC Annenberg already had the second largest newsroom in Los Angeles. Now it has what I think is the best newsroom,” she said.

President Nikias then thanked Annenberg for the $50 million gift from the Annenberg Foundation toward the facility by presenting her with a bouquet of orchids, as well as a plaque with an engraved head of USC’s mascot, Traveler.

Annenberg was followed by USC alumna and MSNBC News anchor Alex Witt, who  reminded students of the essence of journalism.

“Regardless of technical skills you need, and you will most [assuredly] get them here, you must always learn to write,” she said.

Students said the building’s design added to its educational value.

“I’m not as familiar with the building, but I love the classrooms upstairs — they have glass sliding doors, they’re all windows, everything’s open,” said Holly Thompson, a freshman majoring in narrative studies. “I love that type of architecture, and I think it’s a better studying environment.”

The ceremony concluded with Annenberg, Nikias, Wilson and Witt cutting the ribbon for the new hall. Afterwards, Nikias gave Annenberg a personal tour of the building while the rest of the attendees were invited inside for a reception with alumni and trustees.

“Having access to the new equipment … and having all of the news outlets together in one place is a really great environment,” said Kristin Doidge, a graduate student studying journalism. “It is also, from what I understand, even better than a real newsroom.”

Nikias stressed that this access to state of the art equipment is reflective of the commitment USC has to the future.

“This building, but more importantly, what goes in the building, is making a statement about USC: that we have the very best journalism school, arguably in the world,” Nikias told the Daily Trojan. “It also makes a big statement for the university of how committed we are for this profession.”