SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – The River Valley Technical Center in Springfield welcomed the family of Spencer Huntley into their Audio Video Production Department Tuesday, Dec. 21 for a dedication of their new Whisper Room, made possible by a financial gift in Spencer’s memory.
A Whisper Room is an insulated, soundproof booth, which eliminates all outside noise, and is used to record voice over work in a production studio.
Father Mark, mother Sharon, and sister Madison Huntley were all on hand for the presentation of a carved mahogany plaque to be placed on the booth, bearing an inscription provided by the family which read, “In loving memory of Spencer Huntley who encouraged others to embrace their individuality. Let your voice be heard!”
A former RVTC student, Spencer, 18, had passed away in a tragic car accident in October of 2011. At the time, he was participating in a two-year sound engineering program at RVTC, having graduated from high school in May earlier that year.
A scholarship fund in his name was initially established through Green Mountain Union High School, but because of a somewhat narrow set of criteria, the scholarship had been awarded only twice since his passing. Subsequently in 2019, Mark suggested the family donate the entire balance, approximately $8,000, to the tech center for use in the Audio Video Production Department where Spencer had thrived as a student, something that couldn’t be said of his time at GMUHS, according to his mother Sharon.
Reaching out to RVTC Superintendent and Director Scott Farr and other AV department staff, the decision to purchase the Whisper Room was suggested and began to move forward in late 2019. After finally arriving and being set up in late 2020, the pandemic had shut down in-person learning and the whisper booth sat idle until classes resumed for the 2021/22 school year. Since then, it has been used extensively.
“Noise just melts away, we use it every chance we get,” said Zach McNaughton, RVTC Video Production instructor.
Farr, who had been director when Spencer had attended at RVTC, said he was glad the phrase on the plaque included the word “individuality,” which was a quality that distinguished Spencer.
For RVTC, the addition is another example of how they help keep their AV production program vibrant and continually evolving, with upgrades as an important tool to attract students to explore new possibilities for their future while being in a supportive environment.
McNaughton expressed his appreciation for the whisper booth and what it does for the AV department. “This has really helped the program and will be used constantly.”
For more information on the Audio Video Department and other programs offered through River Valley Technical Center, visit www.rvtc.org.