By Tiffany Ayuda

Hofstra Television Interactive (HTVi) invites students to showcase their talent online and bring a diverse appreciation for all forms of media-art, film, literature, television, music, dance and even photography.

“HTVi is for you,” says Enza Cacace, the lead programmer and one of the creators of HTVi. “HTVi is a great way for students to get their work seen.”

HTVi launched on Nov. 1. Cacace was one of the creators along with Shawn Donaghue and professors Peter Gershon and Nancy Kaplan and 15 other students. They worked together this summer to come up with the idea of creating a Web site that was similar to www.current.com and youtube.com, Web sites where people can post their perspectives, news and ideas with people all over the world.

“Over the summer, the faculty and a few students were trying to think of ways to try and get hip with the Internet, and what we came up with was HTVi,” Cacace says.

However, HTVi gives students the opportunity to show off their talent to prospective employers and gain exposure in the University community.

“If you want a potential employer to see your work, or your family in another state, you can give them the Web address and they will be able to see it,” Cacace says.

Cacace says that HTVi’s base is in the School of Communication, but it is not limited only to communication students. Students of all majors are encouraged to submit their work to the Web site.

“HTVi serves as a terrific venue for students to showcase their creative efforts,” Gershon says.

Currently, the site has audio, film and broadcast clips. Gershon says that the purpose of the site is to be interactive, and it cannot exist without the help of students who create and submit their work.

“We created this site because the students and faculty of the School of Communication are very aware of the power of the Internet. Our talented students do amazing work; we conceived HTVi as means of getting that work out to the entire Hofstra campus, potential employers, and finally the general public at large,” Gershon says.

Anyone who is interested should see Cacace or give submissions to 110 Dempster Hall. For more information and guidelines, visit htvinteractive.com or look at the bulletin boards at Dempster.

“It is a great way for students to let others see their work and a great outlet for the media makers of Hofstra,” Cacace says.