USD Magazine, Winter 1998

R Uista on the World Newspapers around the world are publishing online versions that follow Genova's mantra to stay at the forefront. USD's student newspaper, the Vista, is no different.

omputer labs are abundant on the USD campus. Even Aromas, the popular coffeehouse in Maher Hall, fea– tures Macintosh terminals with e-mail access. But students like NeySa Ely, who take on Web site design projects for class assignments, benefit most from Internet access in their own rooms. For the long hours of trial and error it takes to create that perfect site, there's nothing as comfortable as working in a familiar room with space to spread out piles of research and stacks of tutorial books on building Web pages. Each semester, a new group of USD residents is gaining high-speed access to the Internet thanks to a rewiring project that began in the summer of 1996. First, the Camino and Founders residence halls were outfitted with new cable for phones, television and data transmission. A computer outlet was installed for each student in a room. Maher Hall and the Presidio Terrace apartments gained access last spring. The cable in faculty and administrative offices is being upgraded along with the residences, and the entire campus is simultaneously being fitted with fiber optic cable. "Coaxial cable is subject to electromagnetic interference that compromises the integrity of the data being transmitted," explains Dave McCluskey, acting vice president for finance and administration. "Fiber provides a pure, faster signal." President Alice B. Hayes is determined to see every resi– dence hall connected through the upgraded campus network, and can be credited with getting the project off the ground, McCluskey notes. , "Dr. Hayes wanted it to happen," he says. "We can't ~ deliver Internet access or the ability to maintain Web sites without this recabling work." The Missions housing and Crossroads building in the valley are on track to be up and running in February, and next fall the San Padua and Knolls apartments will be online. Because much of the recabling work requires running new conduit underground, the Alcala Vista apartments on the east end of campus will gain access when construction begins on the new sports facility. Conduit can be laid when the roads are graded, McCluskey says. Meanwhile, the student affairs department has come to the rescue of students struggling to get their computers loaded with e-mail software and Internet browsers - technicians working on same-day service will do all the hookup for the residents. A team of 10 student techs that works with Karen Reed, director of special projects for student affairs, also provides troubleshooting skills for computer owners having problems with their hardware. While some universities provide dorm room Internet access, but leave the work of connecting to individual residents, Reed maintains that is not the USD way of doing things. "If we're going to sink money into the wiring project and say the Internet is an important resource, let's make sure the students use it," she says.

Amanda Beck, a senior political science and com– munications studies major, and Aymie Kessler, a junior computer science major, joined the Vista staff last spring. Their job is to

redesign the online pages and update the site with new stories each week. Internet access is available in additional sections of campus housing each semester, making it convenient for students to read

the online news– paper from their rooms. Or termi– nals are free for Internet browsing in computer labs across campus. But current students aren't the only readers targeted by the creators of the Vista site. "I've had people who have graduated look at the site and say, 'It's so good it's up because I can have a connection with the uni– versity,"' Beck says. "Or study abroad students can have access to what's happening at USD. It's a good outreach to have as a connection with the current students." Beck delved into Internet exploration her freshman year and soon became interested in building Web pages for the Associated Students. As part of a summer internship in Washington, D.C., a year ago, Beck maintained a site for Congressional Quarterly and did online work for a public affairs firm. Beck and Kessler head to the office three mornings http://cyberhood.acusd.edu/vista/ on which Vista staff write their stories and design the layout of the print version. Although much about maintaining Web sites can be tedious data input or writing of HTML code, Beck enjoys the office atmosphere because someone is always around to interact with. NeySa Ely, Angelo Genova and Amanda Beck all have taken on projects in which they interact with more people than they could possibly meet personally. They find the Web site work fun, chal– lenging and know it will help in opening future job opportunities, yet none is looking to make a career of building pages. It's their way of staying at the forefront. "I know I don't want to get into this as a career because I'm such a people person," Beck says. "But it's still a lot of fun. And it's definitely a marketable skill to have, especially being a woman who knows how to build pages." a week to update the pages. They use the same computers

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