By Alyaziya Alshamsi
UNIVERSITY CITY, SHARJAH – The American University of Sharjah’s Department of Mass Communication is dealing with a resurgence of demand for studio and field equipment as students return to campus, but COVID-19-related safety remains a priority, according to MCM Media Specialist Herman Coutinho.
“The students are coming back, yes, but the situation is not the same,” Coutinho observed in a recent email interview. “Remember the pandemic is still looming on us and therefore the equipment distribution will be done keeping safety measures in mind.”
“We are continuously educating the students to maintain Covid appropriate behavior while sharing the equipment in the MCM department,” said Coutinho, who added he is working to ensure that all equipment is sanitized and ready for use.
“In my opinion, equipment care and maintenance is a continuous process and it takes all the stakeholders to do their part,” Coutinho said.
He added that students should show responsibility in knowing all the rules and regulations, and also in how they treat and take care of the equipment they use.
Coutinho noted that when campus was effectively closed, students still had access to the equipment. Although the studio was then not physically accessible to students, Coutinho and his team checked out field-equipment for them. Each piece was individually assigned to a student due to sanitary and precautionary measures, he noted.
Even equipment that wasn’t being used for student projects got turned on every so often, he noted.
“I believe powering up idle electrical and electronics once in a while keeps the equipment and its components in good condition,” Coutinho said. Periodical maintenance to keep the equipment up and running was essential during lockdown, he said.
