C-SPAN sends big bus to Superblock

The bus is on a national tour to educate people about the cable network. The students who passed the big yellow bus in Superblock yesterday may not have realized what was inside -- a fully operational studio and a one-of-a-kind educational tool to boot. In partnership with the Wade Cable company, which provides cable TV in West Philadelphia, the C-SPAN School Bus made a stop at Penn yesterday during its fifth nationwide tour aimed at educating and entertaining students and community members alike. Passersby were invited to tour the 45-foot mobile television studio and demonstration center -- which featured information about the network ranging from its live Congressional coverage to the more technical aspects of production. The goal of the bus, according to C-SPAN, is to introduce the importance of the network as an unbiased political tool while showing different aspects involved in television programming. Another goal of this year's tour is to educate people on the 106th Congress and the workings of the legislative branch. "The bus is really a double-edged sword," said Bob Reilly, the bus' production crew chief. "It's a production unit as well as a presentation vehicle. Basically, we are the extended arm of C-SPAN, constantly on the road." C-SPAN Affiliate Relations Coordinator Liz Jasper added: "The Penn community seems like a really intelligent group. Students that have been on the bus so far seem politically aware and have knowledge of what's going on." C-SPAN, which stands for Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network, is a non-profit organization that relies on sponsorship from individual cable companies, like Wade. The goal of the 19-year-old network is to provide direct, balanced and unedited political programming which presents all sides of the issues. "Not only is Penn a college that C-SPAN is trying to target, but Wade Cable actually covers the Penn area, making this visit unique," said Charlotte Sistrun, Wade community and government relations coordinator Inside, students could see the bus' control room, soundproof set and several robotically-controlled television cameras, all ready to film interviews and events while on the road. Curious students who passed through the bus on the way to class were curious about the network and responsive to the demonstrations. "I wanted to check out the big yellow bus," Engineering sophomore Jeff Loman said. "You don't see something like this on campus very often. The technology I've seen is pretty amazing." Other students immediately recognized the unusual C-SPAN vehicle. "I had seen the bus on TV before and it was cool to actually go inside," College junior Neal Mueller said. "The people involved seem really enthusiastic."

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