Abigail Cushman, Editor-in-Chief
@abigailccourant
At their meeting on Wednesday, September 7, the Board of Education announced a campaign to renovate the planetarium, soon to be known as The Dome, located just above the science department. Discussions about a planetarium upgrade began back in 2017 when former Science Department Chair Tim Hague and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi began exploring the idea. After a pause due to the pandemic, the campaign has been fully initiated in hopes that students will have access to a collective, immersive virtual reality experience by the end of the 2022-23 school year.
Photo by Abigail Cushman
The current planetarium is a fully analog system – exactly the same as it was 51 years ago. “I was born and it was built in 1971,” Dr. Luizzi said. “I think of all that’s happened in my life since then, and none of it’s happened in the planetarium.” The projector itself is a reflection on the seventies-era technology. “It’s a work of art and it’s a beautiful sculpture. As a matter of fact, the discovery museum over by Sacred Heart has a projector on display in their main lobby, and it’s five years newer than ours.”
Other than existing as a miniature museum, the planetarium’s knobs and dials are beginning to break. In fact, Spitz, the company that installed the planetarium and has been servicing it ever since, declared in 2021 that they could no longer service it. “At this point if it breaks it’s irreparably broken. So not only is it challenging to use, it’s easy to break and it’s tough to fix,” current Science Department Chair Michael LeDuc said.
Currently, only geophysical science and astronomy classes use the planetarium. The Dome, however, will be equipped to provide a learning experience for all subjects. “Imagine anything you’ve seen in an iMax theater. We could essentially do that in the Dome,” Mr. LeDuc said. Similarly to The Magic School Bus show, he noted that users could take a tour of the digestive tract. through the precreated systems. “It’s going to be a much more useful platform for all of the disciplines in science, but also really any class in the district could find a way to use this to improve learning outcomes,” he said.
According to Dr. Luizzi, the technology can also take viewers through outer space, underwater, back in time, into the future colonizing Mars, and beyond. “You could be sitting there and feel like you’re part of a play at the globe theater or crossing the Delaware,” he said before describing how art students could project their work in the space. Dr. Luizzi and Renovate the Dome Committee Chair Sara Schubert both envision the chorus and orchestra performing there, where one person’s singing could be amplified by the seamless dome.
Such resources will be accessible to all of the NCPS community. Teachers and students will learn how to use the system all from a simple video game-esque controller, with Zachary Whitlock acting as planetarium manager. “The fact that the Dome itself has seats for about 60 means you could bring over three elementary classes at a time,” Dr. Luizzi said. “We’ll have some assured learning experiences there at all grade levels, but then we’d leave the platform open to see what people can create.”
With the new Digistar technology, users can access live feed on cameras from telescopes all around the world and live stream NASA rocket launches. “They also have a Commons area where people can create shows and upload them for other people to be able to use. So we could create a show that we’re proud of, put it out in the commons, and let other schools or planetariums view it,” Dr. Luizzi said.
This Digistar technology was chosen for The Dome because of its extensive immersion opportunities as well as the current planetarium’s condition. Digistar acquired the company Spitz, which built the original planetarium. Therefore, using Digistar ensures that the old projector can be removed safely for preservation. Demolition will likely begin in 2023 after midterms as long as funding is sufficient. After a three month renovation process, Dr. Luizzi hopes that Senior students will be able to experience The Dome before they graduate.
Mr. LeDuc sees The Dome campaign as a big investment in science and technology from the district. “It says a lot about the district’s priorities and their commitment to student learning,” he said. “You really don’t see this in a high school setting anywhere. Maybe a 5,000 student school in the midwest could do this, but for a school of our size this is really unprecedented.”
The Dome renovation campaign is a shared private-public partnership. It requires campaign funding because while NCHS receives financing for essential renovations, The Dome is a non-essential technology-advancement opportunity. “The Town of New Canaan has dedicated $350,000 to this project as an investment, and they’ve asked the New Canaan Public School system to raise the rest of the funds,” Ms. Schubert said. The campaign goal is set at $850,000 dollars, and significant progress towards that value is needed to sign contracts and start ordering equipment.
Since late spring, the Renovate the Dome Committee has worked to build this campaign and generate funding. “This group is so dedicated and devoted,” Ms. Schubert said. Over the summer, members met regularly, zooming in from California to Costa Rica. This September, their campaign focused on nuclear school system families. “In October, we’re hoping to go to the alumni, and in November out into the greater community,” Ms. Schubert said.
The Dome campaign team also wants the new planetarium to give back to the community beyond NCPS. “I think it’s going to be the most amazing legacy gift that we could possibly give,” Ms. Schubert said. After it’s installed, there are opportunities for alumni to visit, present and share in the Dome. “The school has elevator access, so it’s just such an accessible space for everyone. Imagine senior citizens in our community visiting for an immersive and transportive experience.”
Over 50 years ago, when a committee set out to build New Canaan High School, there was debate over whether or not to put in a pool. According to Dr. Luizzi, they made the decision that, with the YMCA being in such close proximity, the school would install a planetarium instead. “I think that their wisdom all those 50 plus years ago has served so many generations of students,” Dr. Luizzi said. “Now it’s our chance to build on that.”
