Internet: check; Dorm cable: not yet

University dormitories may finally receive cable television access, but what most students wish to know is when this feature will be available.

“We haven’t had anything yet,” said Ray Simons, 18, a freshman psychology student from New Jersey. “So far they’ve just being doing all this construction. They had to structure it all the way through in every room and that took time. It looks like they’re doing something. We haven’t gotten it yet which has been promised since the beginning of the year.”

Cable television for dorms has been promised to students since they left for winter break. Vice President for Enterprise Information Technology Robert Seniors said the Information Technology Services department has been working hard to install the cable access.

“While the students were gone over the holiday break, we were working around the clock pulling in cabling to support high-speed Internet as well as the cable TV,” Seniors said.

Seniors said this will be a major investment in the residence of students.

“FAMU will be providing the cable services but we’ve worked with the Siemens Corporation as well,” Seniors said. “All college dorms will have cable access and wireless Internet services.”

With the high-speed Internet, students can dodge the hustle of finding a computer with Internet access outside of their residence area.

“They can use the wireless service anywhere within the residential facility,” Seniors said.

The change came as a result of needed upgrades.

“There has not been a change since 2000, and it was in need of a major upgrade and we (have) done so,” Seniors said. “It was nothing but very positive feedback from students. I’m not sure if it was a lack of resources available to make that happen or if it was not a priority for the administration that was in place.”

Students have taken a liking to the Internet access in the dorms.

“Wireless Internet would help more because more of our work is over the Internet,” Simons said. “We need that. That’s stuff to do our work so I feel that’s the most important thing that should have been in here and been done. I know FSU probably already got cable but we need some wireless Internet fast.”

While Seniors said high-speed Internet will be accessed along with the cable access, students said they have only received half of what was promised. They were only able to access the high-speed Internet.

“There was a sign on our door when we came back from Christmas break and the sign said that all we needed was a cable cord,” said Dominique Alderman, 18, a freshman pharmacy student from Fort Lauderdale. “We got the cords to hook the cable up, but it didn’t work. They said it would take a couple more weeks.”

The idea for cable in the dorms initially came from the Student Affairs office and the Housing office. Seniors said they started with the installation over the Thanksgiving holiday. He said students will be able to access about 70 channels.

The cable access will include many of the premium channels but will exclude channels such as HBO and Showtime.

“They will have all the good channels, not including any of the HBO or Showtime or anything that could show anything inappropriate, but all the premium channels will be there,” Seniors said.

The decision to remove some of the channels was not solely Seniors’.

“We had the ability to offer those channels but the Vice President of Student Affairs Roland Gaines decided that the content provided on those channels was inappropriate,” Seniors said.