2008 Woodie Awards
Administrators proceed without approval
De Andra Kenoly, Staff Writer
Issue date: 10/24/06
Last Updated: 12/26/07
Administrators are reviewing solutions to installing cable in dorm lounges without student approval of paying the ongoing costs.
In a story from the Oct. 3 issue of the "The Whitworthian," Dick Mandeville, associate dean of students, was quoted to have said, "Last year student government said they would pay for the ongoing expenses."
Although Mandeville initially said the meeting did take place, it is not recorded in the ASWC meeting minutes from last year.
Mandeville said it was not a formal meeting, which was why it was not recorded.
Dayna Coleman Jones, assistant director of student activities, who sat in on the meeting, confirmed this.
"It was an informal inquiry. The group was asked if they would be willing to pay a small monthly fee to get cable into their dorms," Coleman said.
Mandeville said it was an agreement between himself and former ASWC president Jeff Hunter.
Current Duvall senator Seth Wall said he did not remember discussing paying for the ongoing costs for cable.
Arend senator Katie Zerkel, who served as an Arend representative last year, agrees.
"I don't ever remember discussing cable costs," Zerkel said.
The school is planning on taking action to get cable installed in the dorms.
"We are proceeding with the belief that more students than not would support this," said Mandeville.
Whitworth is beginning to research three cable options: Comcast, an experimental system from Cisco and a satellite dish system. School officials do not know how much installation for these methods would cost.
"Hopefully we can get some hard and fast quotes," said Ken Pecka, director of instructional resources.
Whitworth has contacted Comcast to get an estimate on how much it would cost to get cable connection.
"Comcast did give us a quote originally for installing the cable that needs to run between the buildings," Pecka said.
It was later discovered the cable could not be used in the existing conduit system installed in the buildings. In order to have the cable installed, contractors would have to dig up the existing conduit system and replace it with one that is compatible with the cables. A quote for this has not been done yet.
"Now that we have dug a little deeper, we need to have that redesigned by them," Pecka said.
The next option is to try a new media system. Digital Media Manager, a product by Cisco Systems, Inc., allows TV signals to be transferred over the data network.
"Through viewers on your computer you could receive a channel that is being broadcast through this 'TV over the IP network' distribution," Pecka said.
The school will be trying this option even if it is not what they end up going with. The institution is also looking into the option of installing a satellite dish on each of the dorms, Pecka said.
"The dish is maybe cost-wise more reasonable and we could do it in a faster implementation," Pecka said.
In a story from the Oct. 3 issue of the "The Whitworthian," Dick Mandeville, associate dean of students, was quoted to have said, "Last year student government said they would pay for the ongoing expenses."
Although Mandeville initially said the meeting did take place, it is not recorded in the ASWC meeting minutes from last year.
Mandeville said it was not a formal meeting, which was why it was not recorded.
Dayna Coleman Jones, assistant director of student activities, who sat in on the meeting, confirmed this.
"It was an informal inquiry. The group was asked if they would be willing to pay a small monthly fee to get cable into their dorms," Coleman said.
Mandeville said it was an agreement between himself and former ASWC president Jeff Hunter.
Current Duvall senator Seth Wall said he did not remember discussing paying for the ongoing costs for cable.
Arend senator Katie Zerkel, who served as an Arend representative last year, agrees.
"I don't ever remember discussing cable costs," Zerkel said.
The school is planning on taking action to get cable installed in the dorms.
"We are proceeding with the belief that more students than not would support this," said Mandeville.
Whitworth is beginning to research three cable options: Comcast, an experimental system from Cisco and a satellite dish system. School officials do not know how much installation for these methods would cost.
"Hopefully we can get some hard and fast quotes," said Ken Pecka, director of instructional resources.
Whitworth has contacted Comcast to get an estimate on how much it would cost to get cable connection.
"Comcast did give us a quote originally for installing the cable that needs to run between the buildings," Pecka said.
It was later discovered the cable could not be used in the existing conduit system installed in the buildings. In order to have the cable installed, contractors would have to dig up the existing conduit system and replace it with one that is compatible with the cables. A quote for this has not been done yet.
"Now that we have dug a little deeper, we need to have that redesigned by them," Pecka said.
The next option is to try a new media system. Digital Media Manager, a product by Cisco Systems, Inc., allows TV signals to be transferred over the data network.
"Through viewers on your computer you could receive a channel that is being broadcast through this 'TV over the IP network' distribution," Pecka said.
The school will be trying this option even if it is not what they end up going with. The institution is also looking into the option of installing a satellite dish on each of the dorms, Pecka said.
"The dish is maybe cost-wise more reasonable and we could do it in a faster implementation," Pecka said.
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