Racing into my dorm room, I throw my book-bag aside, grab my laptop and descend upon the couch. Lifting the dusty screen brings a positive glint of light that seems to foreshadow the joy that awaits me. Booting up the computer seems to take millennia, and finally my safari page was open. I pull up NBC’s website and the office comes into full view. With cat-like reflexes, I click on the show’s main page while anxiously awaiting for it to load, but reality sets in with devastating certitude. The webpage will not open.

The scream that echoed out of me is rumored to have been heard all the way down to 10th and Cass. But being persistent, I tried to load the show numerous times to no avail. The feeble wireless connection my laptop was trying to grasp was by no means sufficient enough to load a show as titanic as The Office. Slamming my laptop shut, I stormed out of the room trying to shut the horror out of my mind that would culminate to missing the season premier.

Unfortunately, my story is by no means unordinary. Numerous students have had trouble using Creighton’s new Wi-Fi service with online television shows and other substantial Internet activity. Not only that, but upon the day of my arrival to Swanson, my suitemates and I discover that Xbox’s and the equivalent will not be supported by the new network. In order to connect an xbox, my suitemates had to go through a long and twisted bureaucratic journey to be connected to a new “hidden” wireless network. After spending over a week trying to connect this gaming system online, we have only come to find our systems have a connection that only surpasses the outermost regions of Haiti.

A bad wireless connection is nothing new to Swanson; many upperclassmen would not contest this problematic situation in years past.

This year brings a significant difference. Every Ethernet (wired) connection has been removed from the hall leaving all of the residents at the mercy of a connection that can be rather shaky. I do not criticize Creighton for moving to a new, more secure network; it is a change that has been needed in recent years. The transition to a totally wireless campus cannot be expected to go smoothly, so all things considered, things for the University are going fairly well. The wireless signal is getting stronger, and DoIt is trying their best to satisfy everyone with the current network. What is truly troubling about this transition is not the spotty connections on campus, because the connection is the byproduct of a rushed change from an old to a new system. The ethernet modems have been removed from all of the residence halls. By removing the wired connection, students have no alternative if they have a bad connection. Any other options are removed from campus, and students are forced to try and make the best with what they have.

I spoke with Mark Smedinghoff, one of the head staff members at DoIt, over the current WiFi situation. He explained to me DoIt knew switching over to a new secure wireless would not be easy, and the university would experience “growing pains” with the process. He also mentioned connectivity has been improving steadily since the start of school, and is optimistic that WiFi will be at optimal capacity by the beginning of the year. In regards to the Ethernet cables, Smedinghoff explained that the University’s contract with Cox is soon to expire, so the modems (which housed Ethernet cables) were removed prematurely in order to avoid future complications. He also mentioned that the Ethernet cable connections in the walls are outdated, and updating these connections would be costly.

Although updating everyone’s cables would be expensive, it is important everyone who needs a wired connection gets one, even if it is only temporary. In order to make a smoother transition to a new wireless network smoother for both students and faculty, the University should replace the Ethernet modems and cables to those students who both need and request them. By doing so, Creighton can silence any qualms that both student and faculty critics have over their connectivity, allowing our school to truly earn their rank as the “fifth most wired campus.”