Iconyx Makes a Difference in Holy Cross' Hogan Ballroom

	Outgoing Senator John Kerry addresses students at Hogan Ballroom on the College of the Holy Cross campus.

The Boston metropolitan area is home to a number of colleges and universities rich in history and tradition. Among them, College of the Holy Cross stands out as one of the first Roman Catholic colleges in the region, if not the entire country. Its alumni include US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, NBC's Chris Matthews, and LSD pioneer Timothy Leary.

The College's Hogan Ballroom hosts a wide range of events, from regional theater and dance performances to high-profile public speaking engagements. As Jesse Anderson, director of audio visual services explains, the room has always been a problematic acoustical space.

"It's a large space with some very reflective surfaces, and spoken word intelligibility has always been a challenge," says Anderson. "Last year we had (Supreme Court Justice) Clarence Thomas in to give an address, and we had to rent a PA system. That was when we decided it was time to address the issue."

Working with Tom Oriola from the Boston offices of AV contractors AVI-SPL and Rich Trombitas of Cardone, Solomon and Associates, the college installed a system based around a pair of Renkus-Heinz Iconyx IC8R-II digitally steerable column array loudspeakers. The system was commissioned by Trombitas just in time to make its debut with Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, making his farewell tour upon being appointed to the office of Secretary of State.

"We selected the Iconyx primarily for its intelligibility, but it has already proven itself on several musical performances as well," Anderson reports. "It has enabled us to steer the sound away from the floor and walls and other reflective surfaces, and direct it into the audience where it needs to be. Iconyx has made a tremendous difference for the Hogan Ballroom."