The man behind Halloween in Science Hall

By: Andrew Nowel, Sports Layout Editor

It’s spooky time once again in Science Hall and there’s a room that is creepiest of them all: Science Hall 1027, the ESPN Control Room. Many dare not enter the lair of one David Dee with his trusty graduate assistant Colton Pankiewicz. From the outside, the control room looks scary, but when you open the door, you are welcomed with a smile that makes you wonder, ‘will I return from the world of sports?’

Dee, the director of digital media for Canisius Athletics, brings his Halloween spirit to Canisius from home. “I’m a big tradition guy in a lot of ways. My family has been doing Halloween and dressing up in costumes since my kids were younger,” said Dee. The first thing people notice about the control room as they walk by in the main hallway of Science Hall is a rat propping the door open when the room is buzzing with activity. 

As you walk into the room, two projectors catch your eye, which are something that Dee sets up every year. Each projector has a recurring scene that draws attention to the theatrics of what the control room is designed for. Inside the control room is where all home sporting events are broadcasted out on ESPN+ or GoGriffs.com. With that, Halloween and its antics bring to life another aspect of sports production. “We want to teach students the professional part of production, but also it’s the want to be there because when someone wants to be there, they learn more,” said Dee.

Students at Canisius can take a two-part class where they get to learn the ins and outs of sports production and broadcasting. As part of extra credit this year, Dee gave the students in the class a chance to decorate the control room. Each addition to the room was placed by the students, who collectively decided where each decoration should go to bring the room to life. It’s something the students are able to enjoy on a Tuesday or Thursday in October. “I started having the students decorate for Christmas as an extra credit opportunity last year and they really enjoyed it. We had music playing and it helped to create bonds between people, so I gave the students the same extra credit opportunity for Halloween this year,” said Dee. The latest addition to the control room is a robotic hand that crawls around the floor triggered by sound. It adds to the uneasy vibe that Dee and the students worked to create inside the room.

Dee brings his Halloween spirit from his home in Lancaster, N.Y. where the decorations are even bigger than the ones in the control room. Due to the constant change in Buffalo weather, Dee has to do a lot of lighting tricks which is something that he takes pride in at his home. The Halloween spirit he brings to Canisius is just a small portion of a tradition that has continued in the Dee household. Dee’s favorite part of every Halloween, besides dressing up and coming to work in his costume, is the Halloween-themed meal that he makes for his family. It’s a way to bring his family together while having fun on the spooky holiday.

As Dee and his students prepare for Halloween this year, the ESPN control room gets ready to showcase all of its decorations. With the Halloween spirit in full swing, you might just get a Colton Pankiewicz sighting. 

David Dee in control room dressed as Gru via Kaitlyn Belile