During an extensive renovation of Lehigh University’s iconic Clayton University Center at Packer Hall, workers found old drawings and objects from the past during the construction work. From GoPro videos taken during a construction tour, we created a short video showcasing the secret rooms that were discovered along with the unidentifiable drawings. Set to intriguing music with bold captions, we engaged our followers, specifically alumni, to see if anyone had information about the mysterious drawings found on the walls—either what the numbers meant or who may have drawn them. With nearly 30,000 views, 1,129 likes, and 218 shares, the video helped us get the information we were looking for. We were contacted by alumni who were able to tell us what the numbers on the walls meant—they were ham radio codes written by students who were part of the Amateur Radio Society started 100 years ago. This digital video led to a follow-up story in Lehigh’s 2024 Summer Alumni Bulletin magazine about the history of the ham radio club at Lehigh during the 1960s and 1970s. That story even resonated with some engineering alumni and current students who are now working on reinstituting an amateur radio society at Lehigh, 100 years later. What started as a fun way to share the progress on the UC renovation and engage our followers, ended up as a rich, historical story, deepened connections with alumni, and created the (hopefully!) establishment of a new experience for students on campus.
From the Judges
This video combined story-telling, intrigue, and is a clever use of social media to engage a target audience and successfully achieve its intended goal.
