There is a growing problem on this campus, and it gets worse every semester. It is based upon a false belief, and it MUST stop. The problem is caused by the Information Technology department.

It seems to be under the impression that students don’t use instant messaging, and that we won’t care if they mess around with it, or block it completely. I understand that bandwidth is not cheap, and that it has a budget to work with, and that academic uses prevail over personal, but there has got to be a better way to streamline the campus’ internet access.

Recently it has taken it upon itself to “play” with the ports for AOL’s Instant Messenger, rendering the service next to useless for students on campus.

Students use this service, guys.

We use it to keep in touch with family and friends. People who live long distances away use it to keep in touch rather than endure expensive long distance bills. I sometimes use it to get help on homework, or to work on a group project. Others use it to send pictures to family and friends, or to get a friend at a far away university to read over a paper.

The university has a problem handling bandwidth, and, rather than asking the students for ideas on how to deal with the demands, they are simply side-stepping the people who are the reason they are here, and going about it in whatever ways THEY think are the best.

Why isn’t there a student Campus Technology Panel or something? We are the ones who are using this internet, and yet we have little or no ability to express our concerns over how the bandwidth is being “shaped.”

I was told by a professor last semester, “The faculty is here because of students. Without students, there is no need for a faculty.”

We need to work together to deal with these problems.

-Ricky Cadden
sophomore business management major from North Richland Hills