Today, college esports, which is competitive video game play, sits front and center for new recruitment programs, coupled with lucrative funding opportunities for student-athletes. The University of Southern California had a vision to not only throw its weight behind esports, but to also create an entirely new space that is engineered to harness the creative potential of any student on campus. It was out of the desire to tap into the technology and opportunities of the future that the Digital Creative Lab was born.
Playing video games in college is no longer relegated to dark corners of the dorm rooms. Today, college esports, which is competitive video game play, sits front and center for new recruitment programs, coupled with lucrative funding opportunities for student-athletes. With the global esports market expected to top $5 billion* by the end of this decade, it’s no wonder academic institutions of higher education around the U.S. are enthusiastically backing fully-fledged varsity esports programs.
The University of Southern California had a vision to not only throw its weight behind esports, but to also create an entirely new space that is engineered to harness the creative potential of any student on campus. It was out of the desire to tap into the technology and opportunities of the future that the Digital Creative Lab was born.
Creating A Signature Space
The USC Digital Creative Lab covers a portion of one of the University’s libraries. This technology hub was initially conceived as an esports arena where the esports teams could not only practice, but also host tournaments, but it soon became the signature space for all things digital. At its heart is a 165-inch diagonal direct-view LED video wall from Sharp positioned at the front of the main room to serve as a focal point for the entire space. During tournaments, vivid, crystal-clear game play and highlights are displayed larger-than-life on the video wall so no one misses a second of the action. During school hours, the hybrid space is used as a classroom. It has 26 stations for students and professors to have the luxury of using the video wall with their lectures.
Hunter Stacey, the AV/IT Projects Facilitator at USC ITS Learning Environments, and his team plan and support the technology needs for most of the learning spaces on campus and set the standards for technology and functionality in those spaces. “The Digital Creative Lab is a unique asset unlike anything seen on any campus in the world. It is available for all students, staff and faculty to express themselves creatively. Here they can create and display NFTs, host podcasts to share their passions, create YouTube or TikTok videos with incredible production value, play games on high-level machines they may not have access to otherwise and dominate the competition in a first-rate esports facility. At USC, we encourage students to go after their dreams, and the world-class technology we have implemented allows them to make that a reality like nothing else.”
World-Class Learning with Top-Tier Technology
Ancillary to the main space are several additional rooms including a state-of-the-art video production room populated with technology that would be at home in any of the nearby Hollywood studios including green screens, camera and sound equipment and several 49” and 55” Ultra High Definition Professional NEC displays. The lab also includes a hologram machine, two podcast studios, large-format 3D printers and the first-of-its-kind NFT Lounge.
The special NFT Lounge is the first permanently installed NFT art gallery on a college campus. It features 11 displays from NEC including four 75” and seven 65” Ultra High Definition Professional Displays. These displays are used to present the digital art, NFTs in perfect clarity.
A graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology, Doug has been in the Technology industry since 1976 and actively oversees Fearing’s daily operations. Along with his wife, Lois, and three others, Doug started Fearing’s in a 600 square-foot facility in Portage, Wisconsin. In the 25 years since, the company has grown to over 30 employees with offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Doug likes to say he’s a “TV Technician with a dream� going back to his history with the family’s original business-Fearing’s TV and Appliance.
Doug values time with family, watersports, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing. In addition to being a devoted member of his church, Doug serves as Board President for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County, Board member of Schools for Haiti and Scripture Chair of the Gideons-Portage camp.
A graduate of MATC, Lois oversees Fearing’s daily book keeping along with various HR responsibilities.
Along with Doug, Lois is deeply connected to community outreach, serving as a Board member and Fundraising Committee Chairperson for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County. She also serves on the Schools for Haiti Fundraising committee. In addition, Lois’ ongoing passion and commitment to provide care for the elderly comes from her 10-year history of working in a Reedsburg, Wisconsin Nursing home.
Lois enjoys singing, hiking, sunny days on the pontoon, and spending time with her 4 grandchildren.
Ehren drives Fearing’s technology by continually seeking out trends to enhance capabilities while supporting Sales, Engineering and Installation teams. Throughout his years with Fearing’s, Ehren’s talent and vision have joined forces to create a wide variety of projects and strategic solutions that exceed expectation.
Ehren loves music, family time, movies, nature, sustainability efforts and electric vehicles.
With 10 years with Fearing’s and over twice that long in the industry, Ben continues to lead, coordinate, and develop the Commercial AV team.
By consistently delivering an outstanding experience and outcome, Ben contributes to the Fearing’s legacy of long-lasting partnerships that truly make a difference. Whatever the Commercial AV need may be, Ben and team deliver at the highest level.
Ben is an avid fisherman and photographer. He enjoys coaching his sons and other youth.
Chris has been with Fearing’s for 20 years and in the industry for over 2 decades. As a Certified leader in Sales Acceleration and trained in EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating Systems), Chris successfully utilizes his skills to lead the Fearing’s Salesforce. Chris and team are motivated and driven to develop new client partnerships while continuing to reinforce loyal long-term relationships with ongoing Service excellence.
Married for 19 years with 3 children, Chris enjoys skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, hunting, camping and golf. He’s also been actively involved as a Youth Football and Softball coach for his family and others.
