The Center for Instructional Technology has the best view of the new science building. Everyone should come visit and check out the view. Of course, if you're too busy we understand. So, we're providing this timelapse video for your enjoyment.

On Oct. 17th 2005 I set up a tripod on my desk and mounted a digital camera on it because ground breaking for the science building was about to start. The purpose was to create a time lapse video of the construction. The tripod sat half on my desk and half on the shelf next to my desk, spanning the space between, and a black fleece vest covered the shinny aluminum legs because they were reflected in the window which showed up in the test pictures. A sticky note on the handle read “Please Do Not Move” for anyone who might want to clean underneath it or borrow it. The whole apparatus looked part jerry rigged spy cam, part coat rack.

When I did this, I did not really comprehend the full ramification of what I was doing. For almost 3 years this thing did not move. For reference, my computer changed twice in that in that time, three ski seasons where I could have used that fleece went by, twice the police showed up at my office wondering if I had captured suspicious activity on the construction site, and the camera, once top of the line, is now so old and slow that no one would ever want one.

On Aug 28th 2008, after waiting the last few months for them to remove the plastic covering on the roof trim, I took the final picture. A total 1509 photos were taken.  In celebration, I dismantled the setup at 11:50 AM and then went to lunch.

—Michael Palumbo, CIT