Jan07_tech

tech rocks “ET, phone home”? Try “ET, text home.” And we may not have spaceships that whip whatever we most desire out of thin air a la “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” but phones booths are definitely out of style. And when lightning strikes, let’s all just hope it’s not attracted to your wireless connection.... by amanda younger • design by kelly giles • photos by danielle verilli

REMEMBER WHEN Lite-Brites were the coolest new

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gadgets money could buy? What about when watching a VHS was much cooler than reciting the ABCs and DVD wasn’t even in our home entertainment vocabulary? But with technology advancing to unforeseen heights and becoming a substantial part of everyday communication and interaction, it comes as little surprise that educational institutions around the nation are jumping on the technological bandwagon. “Since 1982, technology has become increasingly more important in a student’s education,” said John Gorsuch, director of the Ram Shop. With the help of Fred Brooks, a pioneer in computer science, UNC-Chapel Hill established its computer science department in 1964. The department considers itself the second freestanding, Ph.D.-offering computer science department in the nation. Though the department initially attracted much attention, time took its toll, and both the dot-com bust of the 1990s and fears of job outsourcing took precedence in the minds of prospective majors, resulting in

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dwindling enrollment. “Computer science was a really hot major in the 1980s and ‘90s, but then there was a big drop nationwide,” said Steve Weiss, a professor in the department of computer science. “It was a hard major that got you a good job. Then it just became a hard major.” However, Weiss explained that enrollment has once again begun to increase and that, despite statistics and figures, technology on campus and throughout society in general is an important aspect of daily life. Figures show that the technology industry has become a multi-million dollar business, impacting virtually every American household. In fact, more than 22 million adults in the United States currently own iPods, while the number of Americans who own computers is even more staggering at 70 million households, or 62 percent of the population, as reported by the 2003 U.S. Census Bureau. This is a nearly sevenfold-increase from 1984, when computer use seemed like a luxury reserved for a segment of the population. Though the 1990s were certainly characterized by

un-digitized, most realize that such a transformation has become necessary in society. “I believe American life has become way too dependent on technology nowadays,” said Early Yu, a sophomore computer science major from Cary. “For me personally, every time I get in my car and realize I don’t have my iPod, I run up to my room and get it. I wouldn’t know what I would do without my cell phone, laptop and car.” Whether with open arms or through gritted teeth, not all have been so quick to embrace digitization in their daily lives. Much to the dismay of many native Chapel Hillians, the town council last year decided to reject a proposal by council member Laurin Easthom that would have provided for the establishment of a committee to investigate making Wi-Fi technology available throughout Chapel Hill. Though viewed as somewhat of a setback to technology enthusiasts, businesses in and around Chapel Hill have slowly begun to incorporate wireless Internet connections and other technology into their establishments to provide an added convenience for customers, many of whom rely heavily on their ability to check e-mail or to surf the Internet for information. Four Corners, Jack Sprat and Panera Bread all offer customers the chance to utilize wireless technology. While these establishments have chosen to embrace the technological and Internet boom (and subsequent bust), it still remains an amazing feat that society has become a virtual playground for the technologically savvy and that daily life can now be measured in gigabytes and RPMs. College students in particular seem to be bombarded by an endless stream of new technology, as thousands of campuses now have wireless Internet access and require students to have laptops on which they can check Web sites and where databases assign homework and administer exams. “The University is behind the curve in terms of facilities; it’s all because of money,” Weiss said. “I think the [Carolina Computing Initiative] was a dramatic, bold and positive move.” Gorsuch pinpointed 1999, the year CCI was introduced on campus, as a watershed moment for both the Ram Shop and the University. He said that there were originally hopes that approximately one-third of all incoming freshmen that year would jump on board with the plan. However, officials were pleased by a more than 50 percent participation rate that year alone. The Ram Shop, one of the oldest college computer stores in the United States, has grown substantially over the past two decades, expanding to three locations on campus. In May 2007, the Ram Shop hopes to open a full-service computer department in Student Stores. While the topic of computer innovation prompts some to retreat to a sense of nostalgia, a longing for a time when daily life seemed much more personal and

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these new options, some staples of Chapel Hill and Carrboro have opted to remain more traditional and have said they have not felt pressure to compete with the latest technology. Schoolkids Records on Franklin Street is one such example. Employee Katie Underwood said that the business doesn’t feel the need to carry the latest MP3 innovations among its inventory. “We really haven’t felt any pressure…people still come here because we have the latest stuff,” she said. While Schoolkids Records continues to be a hotspot on Franklin Street and a popular destination for UNCCH music lovers, such places are less and less common as students seem increasingly enthralled by MP3 technology. The Apple products, particularly iPods, carried by Student Stores attest to this desire for the latest technology and the convenience these items provide to students. In 2005, the university ranked in the top 10 colleges for iPods sales, selling approximately 1,600 units. Nevertheless, while the notion of technology often prompts students to think of retrieving assignments via Blackboard, checking e-mail, scanning Facebook.com for the latest news or listening to music, it is cellular phones and telephone communication in general that seem to be both the greatest concern for students and the area of most rapid change among officials. John Streck, ITS assistant vice chancellor for telecommunications, explained that some of the greatest

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changes in technology are found in something that most take for granted: making a simple phone call. While the land line, handset method of calling is probably the quintessential image to come to mind when a person thinks about making a phone call, it is the cellular phone that has become the dominant facilitator in this type of communication. “The cellular phone has taken a fair amount of business and traffic from the handset,” Streck said. “They have gradually been pushing to being digital from the handset for the last five or seven years.” In fact, Streck explained that in a recent survey conducted by the university, the students’ top technological concern was cellular omnipresence throughout campus, particularly in buildings. Such concerns have prompted officials to examine a wide range of solutions or models that can be followed to ensure that the campus is able to function in an everchanging, increasingly technological world. Regardless of the context in which a person is speaking about technology, be it cellular phones, the Internet or iPods, it is undeniable that innovation in this field has changed the landscape of both social interaction and our everyday experiences as students, as exemplified by Weiss’ brief, yet profound statement. “We don’t say ‘Do you have e-mail?,’ We say ‘What’s your e-mail?’”

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