Pros and Cons:
Students
Ponder Project

by Karey Walker

Samantha Bohman, a journalism and mass communications student, thinks the laptop project is the best thing that has happened to her education. Nicole Aurensan, another journalism student, is disgusted and thinks the planning was awful and no one knows what’s going on, especially her.

Eric Borelli, an art and design student, feels the laptop project will help him advance his education.

“Using a laptop during my education helps me keep up with technology,” said Borelli. “I think this will help me to get a job in when I graduate.”

San Jose State University’s laptop program was implemented Fall, 2003 and, as time goes by, SJSU students are discovering what is good and what needs work.

“I had just bought a desktop last spring right before they announced the laptop program. That makes it very difficult to buy another,” said Aurensan.

“I like being able to use my laptop to take notes in class, I am also able to use the notes as a study guide for exams,” said Bohman.

While this is a large expense for college students to endure, in most cases financial aid and other payment plans are available for many students.

“This requirement is happening as our tuitions are rising, we are being left more to worry about than our demanding courses,” said Bohman

“Getting my Unix account had been a pain, I have been there twice and they still don’t have mine,” said Bohman

Alfred Eclipse, the IT Consultant, said what you see is what you get when it comes to the problems. 

He said, “There’s always a front and a back to issues” and compared the problem to Yahoo. When sending email, sometimes it may not go through. There is nothing that IT can do.

“It was a system issue,” said Eclipse, about what happened to the lost Unix accounts.

Fortunately the wireless access at SJSU is free to those who obtain their Unix account. The Unix account permits students to search the Web without limitations. 

Students apply for their account online, and pick it up about two weeks later, that is, hoping the accounts were not with the group of students whose got lost and had to reapply.

“It’s great because I can use the wireless signals from the library in my apartment,” said Alaliese, a journalism and mass communications student.

The College of Education located in Sweeney Hall, the school of art & design in the Art building and the school of journalism & mass communications in Dwight Bentel Hall are the first to join the laptop project. They are paving the way. They are opening the door to new ideas, as well as a whole new world of education.