Portfolios Journalism
Page updated March.30.2007
Preventing Your Dog From Eating Your Homework
Article, Groove Vol. 15 Issue ?, December ?, 2004
(~1,216 words)
So, you’ve written an essay for class, but you haven’t printed it yet, and you only have a couple minutes before class. Where do you go? Not all of us are familiar with the different options, so here is a handy dandy article on printing here at Berklee.
For one, there is wireless printing available on Berklee’s wireless network. Basically, as long as you are within reception range of the wireless network, you can print to designated printers. This service was started, together with a company called Pharos (they design the software used for the wireless printing), around the same time the BLPP (Berklee Laptop Purchase Program) happened. To take advantage of this service, all you have to do is be located somewhere where you have access to the wireless network, and you can print via that network to designated printers. Simple, eh? Well, truth is, many of us have never taken advantage of this service, and some of us don’t even know how. So, let’s get into the details.
While on the wireless network, you simply tell the computer software you’re using to print. All the laptops purchased through the BLPP are pre-configured to print wirelessly at school, so all you have to do is select the wireless print server when you print anything. You then create a username and password for your print job. When you go to the printer, you select the print job that you created and swipe your print card. Oh, and using this printing service will set you back 10¢ per page, which goes to upkeep for the servers, printer toners, paper, and paying Pharos.
All of us who bought our laptops from the school received a white $5 print card. The Berklee.edu site says this initial print card is free (when it states that “the first 50 copies are free” in the FAQ of the Computer Requirements page), but this was actually included as part of the BLPP bundle. When you run out of money on your print card, you can go to a machine in the lobby of the 150 Mass. Ave. building to put money on your Berklee ID.
So where are the actual printers? There are two stations; one in the Student Activities Center, right by the corner of the L shaped main hallway, and one on the 3rd floor of the 150 Mass. Ave. dormitory. The availability of the printers is restricted to SAC hours for the printer in the SAC, while the printer in the 150 dorm is accessible any time of day. There are currently no plans to create further wireless print stations, and Bill Anderson (Computer Support Center Consultant) said that the reason is because “there’s not enough use or demand” to warrant such expansion. Looking at the status report of the wireless printing usage, it seems like it may even be more than that, though it’s hard to tell from just a glance, as it ranges from zero uses a day to fifty-five uses in a single day.
And what other options for printing are there? Well, there’s the Learning Center and the Computer Lab (which is located inside the Media Center), both of which are managed by the Learning Resources Dept. They are also free(!), so it would be wise to read on.
The Learning Center Lab’s main focus in offering to students the use of the facilities for homework (or other personal reasons) is so that we can have access to the musical equipment (such as musical keyboards and pro music software), as well as printing to huge paper sizes for things like orchestral scores created in Finale. You can freely print from any of the computers in the Learning Center. You can bring your laptop to the Learning Center as well, and there are three laptop stations there that allow you to hook it up to a Korg Triton, power cord, headphones, mixer, tape machine, mouse, and keyboard. However, you can’t print directly from your laptop in the Learning Center, though you could e-mail it to yourself and then go on one of the Learning Center’s computers to download and print documents.
The Computer Lab has two sets of stations; one for their own iMacs, and one for laptops. The iMacs have internet connection, as well as certain programs, such as Photoshop, for people to use. You can print freely from these computers, just as in the Learning Center. The laptop stations provide a power cord, keyboard, mouse, musical keyboard, and an Ethernet connection allowing you to print freely, directly from your laptop. The printing for the laptop stations wasn’t the main focus of providing these stations, and came about, really, because Learning Resources had an extra printer lying around. There are six laptop stations in the Computer Lab, which returning students will notice, is up from three stations of past semesters.
Now wait a minute, where did those three iMacs of the Computer Lab go? Well, whenever a small number of computers get replaced, the old ones go either to the music tutoring rooms or to offices of staff members. Whenever a large batch of computers get replaced, as was the case in room A93 of 150 Mass. Ave., then the school is under contract to donate them to area high schools.
Earlier, I mentioned that printing from the Learning Center and Computer Lab is free, but some of you may have heard rumors that it may become a pay for print service any day now. Reasons for such rumors may have come about because of the pay for print nature of the (fairly new) wireless printing service, and others may have heard Pablo Vargas (Associate Director of Learning Resources) mention the possibility of switching the Learning Center over to pay for print at an SGA meeting just this past spring. In my interview with Chris Shelton (Lab Manager of Learning Resources), he said, “that idea [switching over to pay for print] hasn’t been brought up since then” in the department. It seems then that we can all breathe a sigh of relief, at least for now.
Now, we’ve gone over the different printing options, but how do they compare? What are the advantages of each? Well, for starters, printing from the Learning Center and Computer Lab is free, while the wireless printing service is not. However, if you’re in a rush (or generally impatient), there’s a chance you may have to wait in line to use a station in the Learning Center or Computer Lab, whether that be a computer or laptop one. With the wireless, the only wait may be a printing queue, and unless you’re extremely unfortunate to have someone printing 500 pages just ahead of you in the queue, there is no waiting time. Also, and this is especially pertinent to residents of the 150 dorm, another big advantage of the wireless printing service is that you are not restricted to the hours of operation of the whole Media Center complex.
So now you’re an expert on how to print at school. A couple minutes right before class doesn’t phase you. You now know exactly where to go to finish the deed. Maybe now you won’t have to inform your teacher (and your dog) that Spot ate your homework? Well, maybe.
To view this article in the Groove itself, please visit the Groove web site, where a PDF of the issues are available for download.
Journalism Outline
The Groove Student Newspaper at Berklee College of Music
· "In Memorium: Walter Harp"
Article, Groove Vol. 17 Issue 4, December 5, 2005
· "Bringing the Real World Experience to School"
Article, Groove Vol. 17 Issue 4, December 5, 2005
· "The Marketing Design Group"
Article, Groove Vol. 17 Issue 3, November 15, 2005
· "Modern Day Re/sonance: The Electronica Club"
Article, Groove Vol. 17 Issue 3, November 15, 2005
· "A Convention for the People Behind the Glass"
Trade Show Review, Groove Vol. 17 Issue 1, October 17, 2005
· "Attempting Street Cred"
Editorial, Groove Vol. 16 Issue ?, February ?, 2005
· "The Boston Hip-Hop Alliance"
Article, Groove Vol. 15 Issue ?, February ?, 2005
· "Music Business Journal"
Article, Groove Vol. ? Issue ?, February 14, 2005
· "Music Business Majors Tour NAMM"
Trade Show Review, Groove Vol. 16 Issue 7, February 2, 2005
Co-written by Ross Gruet
· "Finally Woken"
CD Review Article, Groove Vol. ? Issue ?, December 8, 2004
· "Encore?"
CD Review Article, Groove Vol. ? Issue ?, December 8, 2004
· "New York, New York"
Cover Article, Groove Vol. 16 Issue 5, November 24, 2004
Co-written by Cynthia Morgan
· "An Evening of Birnbryer Peace"
Concert Review Article, Groove Vol. 2 Issue 4, November 10, 2004
· "Preventing Your Dog From Eating Your Homework"
Article, Groove Vol. 2 Issue 1, October 13, 2004
· "100 Miles and (No Longer) Runnin'"
Article, Groove Vol. ? Issue ?, September 29, 2004
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