In the Media Arts Center (MAC), an Asteroids arcade machine sits in the corner of the building in a lounge area. It was placed there a couple of years ago after the death of Film Professor Tom Cook.
According to Film Department Chair Jo Dery, Cook worked at the school for decades and was the founder of the film production program at KSC.
“His training was as a cinematographer,” Dery said. “He was very passionate about the kind of teamwork that goes into filmmaking, that it’s a collaborative art form.”
Cook liked a lot of things, some of his interests being the Chicago Cubs, ghost hunting and the discontinued drink Jolt Cola, said Dery, who knew him for eight years.
“He had a really interesting collection of passions,” Dery said. “On his door, he had a lot of Chicago Cubs stickers and stuff like that.”
Brandon Doherty, previously the film tech manager at KSC from August of 2020 until July of 2024, who is now the technical director for film and media studies at Dartmouth, stated he knew Cook very well before he passed.
“Tom and I were both Cubs fans, so we spent a good amount of time talking about baseball,” Doherty stated. “And we were also sci-fi nerds. I unfortunately only had a brief time with him, but what he built … is thriving. It is amazing to think about that.”
Professor of graphic design Randall Hoyt also spoke about how Cook liked to collect memorabilia, most of which resided in his office, including the arcade machine.
“I didn’t know him super well, but he was a kind man, and he had a great sense of humor,” Hoyt said. “He liked all sorts of vintage retro stuff.”
“Tom’s office was packed with movie props, books and many Cubs, Spider-Man and Star Trek paraphernalia,” Doherty stated. “In one way, the original arcade game was the centerpiece.”
After Cook’s passing, there was the question of what to do with what remained in his office, especially the arcade machine.
“My original thought was the Film Dept’s (sic) Media Library. But they talked me into the Cage. Film students seemed to enjoy taking a break and playing. I want to say that [senior] Ryan Severn had the highest score for a while,” Doherty stated. “One day, two safety students ran across the parking lot to ask what it was and if they could play it. It was a fun little stress reliever from the challenges at KSC.”
But as the film department grew, the cage needed more space, Doherty said.
“We wanted to keep it in the MAC for students since this was where Tom spent most of his time,” Doherty stated. “Cheryl Martin [arts, education and humanities administrative assistant] was instrumental in getting it moved. She contacted the other departments to ensure they were comfortable with this in the open.”
Doherty explained that to make it safe for students to play, it had to be rewired, which came with the help of John Johanssen, the supervisor for carpentry, paint and lock services, and Colin Burdick, assistant director of KSC’s facilities services.
The arcade machine is not the only item of Cook’s that has been kept around the MAC. In Hoyt’s office, he has a framed vintage graphic design poster from Cook’s office hanging on his wall. There is also a Captain America shield in the film cage that belonged to him as well, said Dery.
“With all of these interests that Cook had, it was the machine that they decided to keep because of how unique of an object it is, as well as it being a participatory thing,” Hoyt said.
“It brings people together,” said Hoyt. “It’s a community object, and I think the fact that it is a game that students can play together is one aspect, but another aspect is what else do you do with it? Do you just shut it off and put it in a closet, or do you bring it out and you let people play it?”
The Asteroids machine is operational, and Hoyt said that he would “encourage everybody on this campus to come to the MAC and seek it out and try to make a 10,000 point high score, and put your initials into the machine for Tom Cook.”
Hayley Doda can be contacted at
hayley@kscequinox.com
