"I feel so impatient whenever I see a blue screen that says the computer is not working, especially when I"m waiting in a long line," says Kim Hee-eun (Environmental Engineering, 4). "Certain computers are always broken down. I wonder if the school is taking care of the computers, or if certain computers are models that break down easily," Kim adds.
The phone number for Hansol Data System is posted on each monitor to report such problems. However, with only one staff member assigned to work at Ewha, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., keeping up with all the computers around campus is difficult.
Moreover, "Since the computers are turned on 24 hours a day, and so many people use them, breakdowns are inevitable," says Park Chan of Hansol Data System.
"It is true that looking after every computer is not easy, since there are so many computers around the campus," says Park Joon-seok from the Office of Information and Communication. "So it would help if students reported breakdowns. When we receive a report, we will send a person right away," Park adds.
But there are not many Ewha students who report such breakdowns. "It always says on the monitor to report a breakdown. But even if I call, I doubt that somebody would rush over to fix it," says one Ewhaian.
Many students also use the computers with a drink or a snack in hand, and that is also a source of the problems. "I have seen many students eat and drink while they are using the computers. I am worried that they might spill something on the keyboard. Ewhians should at least observe the rules of etiquette before they complain about the problems of computers," says Choi Yoo-jin (Law, 1).
Since problems with the computers have been such a concern, the school is now taking steps to put an end to them. The first step was to replace the old computers in the computer rooms of the Hakkwan, the Humanities Hall, and Block B of the Science Center Building. More replacements for old computers are scheduled soon, hopefully in December.
"We are trying our best to provide convenient facilities for students, and will continue to improve the situation. We will also try to reduce the number of breakdowns to a minimum. But it would help if Ewhaians would be more careful and tidier when using computers,"?says Park