The Ferg to rent laptops

The Ferguson Center has always been a popular spot for students to kill time in between classes, and starting next fall, thanks to the SGA, they will be able to rent a laptop to accomplish any task from finishing classwork to checking Facebook. During the annual Week of Welcome in August, 15 Dell ATC laptops will be available for free rental from the Ferguson Center.

"I think students are looking for more convenient places and ways to study that fit more seamlessly into their schedules, and I think having a laptop checkout program in the Ferg will make it easier for students to be successful," said SGA President Cason Kirby.

Laptops are currently offered for rental by University Libraries in all five on-campus libraries. Those, however, can't be taken out of the library, and can only be rented for two hours.

"University Libraries has been doing this for a few years, and it has been overwhelmingly successful. You can check out laptops at each of the five libraries. They have 116 laptops for checkout and in the last fiscal year they have been used 48,000 times," Kirby said.

SGA Executive Vice President Allen Ross said he thinks by offering the laptops in the Ferguson Center, students will find it easier to do work on the go.

"It's more of a convenience. It will be great for students who, in between classes, may want to get some work done," Ross said.

Daniel Hinton, the SGA senator who sponsored a bill dealing with the laptop program, said it is much easier for students to rent a laptop in the Ferg than a library.

"Most people come here to hang out or eat lunch. A lot of time you don't want to be cooped up in the library to do work," Hinton said in a previous issue of The Crimson White.

Kirby said the SGA has been working on this program since his administration was inaugurated on April 2.

"This is something we thought of and started working on right after we took office, and we had a lot of support from University administration, which has enabled us to make this available so quickly," he said. "We just think we can really make things easier for students with this program, and it's something we're really excited about."

Through working with the University and the Ferguson Center, the SGA was not only able to quickly find the funding for the program, but also make steps towards having wireless printing at the Ferg.

"[The office of Provost Judy Bonner] paid for the laptops, software and equipment, and we talked to the Ferguson Center," Kirby said. "We really wanted the ability to print wirelessly. The Ferg will be getting two more printer-copier machines, so there will be a printer on each floor."

Ross said the SGA Senators are anxious to help begin the program.

"The senators are excited and are more than willing to extend their support to the Ferguson Center staff to make sure that the program is implemented and becomes successful," Ross said.