Hendricks Chapel now offers students more than a place to pray or grab a cup of coffee.

Every room in the chapel, except for the upper balcony, is now equipped with wireless Internet capabilities, said Ginny Yerdon, administrative assistant to the dean of Hendricks Chapel.

Yerdon said the administration team decided wireless Internet would be part of its upgrading project.

The renovation budget includes funds for upgrading technology to include DVD players, a VHS player and a projector, along with the wireless Internet.

‘We like to think of the Noble Room as a place where students can come in and get a cup of coffee and work on their assignments,’ Yerdon said.

Deborah Nosky, manager of IT communications and professional development, said CMS did not fund the project.

‘In addition to students asking CMS to set up wireless access, specific places can [provide funds] to have it installed,’ she said.

While she was surprised to hear that Hendricks was set up for wireless Internet, she thought it was a good idea.

‘There are a number of meeting areas [in Hendricks] where student groups meet on a regular basis,’ she said. ‘There is no doubt in my mind that it will be used heavily.’

Yerdon has already seen several students using the wireless Internet in the Noble Room, and believes it will catch on to more students as word spreads.

Student interest is a big part of the expansion under way to connect more areas around campus with wireless capabilities.

Junior communication sciences and disorders major Rachel Neuman said she used wireless Internet at home and is interested in using it on campus, especially in the dorms.

‘If we could use it in dorms, it would cut down a lot of clutter [for wires],’ she said. ‘The places they have wireless right now are great places around the Quad, [but] they just aren’t useful for my purposes.’

Neuman said she might consider using wireless at Hendricks if she needed to meet for a group project.

To use wireless Internet, students need a laptop with a compatible wireless reader card, which can be purchased for about $50 to $150.

Nosky said the wireless Internet project will continue to expand in the upcoming years.

For a complete list of campus locations with wireless capabilities, visit http://cms.syr.edu/connecting/wireless/locations.html.

Published on October 19, 2003 at 12:00 pm