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Show Lampros Hall doors are closed New online math class takes over former computer lab them for walk-in service. Now a new entity will control the IT department's hours, without consulting their management. IT On Dec. 12, 2009, the Weber State Service hoped it would eventually be able University Lampros Hall Computer Lab to take over the lab. closed its doors to students. "The service desk is frustrated because "It's not closing for any financial we had no input on them taking away reasons, but it will be used for a the lab, and now we are at the mercy of developmental math program," said whoever runs the downstairs lab," said Carey Anson, coordinator of Student Heidi Parker, IT service desk manager. Affairs Technology/Computer Labs. "Students will only be able to use the With the closure of the lab, there are walk-in IT service during the new building currently 10 open computer labs on hours." campus. Between fail of '08 and spring Josh Jones, a computer lab aide of '09 the average number of students and senior studying for a bachelor of using the Lampros Hall computer lab integrated studies, only knew about the was 1,082. The Lampros lab differed from closure because of the signs on the doors other computer labs on campus in that it of Lampros Hall. contained breakout rooms that students "If you never came here, you would could use for a quieter work space. The never know it was closing," Jones said. other labs on campus don't feature these "They should have publicized it more breakout rooms. widely. I think a lot of students who come Student employees working at the lab to campus will be surprised to find the will not lose their jobs. doors closed." "We plan to absorb student employees Although Jones works for the computer into other labs," Anson said. lab department, he didn't know about the Anson also said he believes the closure until he had to cover someone computer labs will continue to hire else's shift at Lampros Hall. Jones typically the same amount of employees each works in the Wattis, Elizabeth Hall and semester. Social Services computer labs. Computer "Typically, because of graduation lab aides work on teams, and those teams and mission, we look at five or six new spend most of their time in certain labs. computer lab aides," he said. "The bottom "I haven't seen any fallout from the line is it's all about-the students." closure, but I'm sure that is because 1 The closure will affect students in work in Wattis," Jones said. various ways. The IT service desk, located Parker said she feels the same way. in Lampros Hall, can only service walk"I think there are a lot of students that ins during lab hours. The computer lab think this closure is just for the break and department set the building hours, and the IT Service department must abide by See Lampros page 3 By Wyatt Winnie correspondent I The Signpost PHOTO BY BRYAN BUTTFRFIELD I Hit SICNPOST Weber State University's Lampros Hall is now a classroom for Math TERM students. Rent not buy; new way to get textbooks Job By Spencer Garn asst. news editor I The Signpost Over 150 textbook titles are now available for rent through Weber State University's bookstore. The bookstore's new rental program will allow students to acquire certain textbooks at a cost up to 60 percent less than the purchase cost of the books if bought new. "We're trying to offer all the services that a student here would hopefully use and think beneficial," said Michael Richter, director of the WSU bookstore. "Rental is one of those." Although renting textbooks through the bookstore may be less expensive up front, it will not always be the cheapest option in the long run. "When you look back at it, a textbook purchase and buyback is still the cheapest and always has been," Richter said. "There's rarely ever going to be a change in that." Junior Sydney Ross' rental of a used book last Thursday is one example of how purchasing a textbook can be cheaper in the long run. Ross rented a used textbook for $18.14, saving$ll.ll from the used price had she purchased the textbook. However, if she had purchased the textbook for the used price of $29.25, she could have sold back the book during the buy-back period at the end of the semester for half the new price of the book, or $19.48. After buy-back, Ross would have spent $9.77 on her textbook, saving $8.37 from the cost of renting the book. Ross said she was happy with the upfront savings. "1 needed all the discounts I could get," Ross said. "I like it and I think Weber should continue to offer it." One of the only times the purchase of a textbook is not cheaper in the long run than rental is when the textbook is not eligible for buy-back when the semester ends. A textbook is eligible for buy-back if the book is being used in subsequent semesters. Richter said that at the beginning of a semester, the bookstore can't ascertain whether a textbook will be required again. Currently, the 150 textbook titles available for rent represent only six to eight percent of the total number of textbook titles sold at the store. Richter said the bookstore will try to expand the number of rental offerings if there is a demand for textbook rentals next year. Student feedback will also weigh heavily on the future of the program. "If it really is something that (the students) are excited about and want to use, then we'll try to find a way to make sure we can continue to offer that service/' Richter said. Purple shelf tags reading "Rent Your Textbooks" indicate that a textbook is available for rent. The tags list the new and used rental price of the textbook. After selecting textbooks available for rent, students can use one of the four kiosks in the Oeden hunting on campus WSU helps students work through school By Jonah Napoli A&E editor I The Signpost the contracted time will be charged for the full price of the book. Textbook rental services are a relatively new and fast-emerging niche in the textbook industry. In 2007, Many locations on campus aim to not only serve the students of Weber State University, but provide them an opportunity to earn some money as well. "There are a lot of jobs all over campus in a lot of different areas," said Heather Jones, an hourly employment specialist at WSU. "Right now there are 123 jobs ranging from computer lab aide to office clerk to fitness attendant and the gym. There are lots of different varieties." All job postings are available at jobs.weber. edu and can be narrowed down in many ways, including full- or part-time and hourly versus work study. "It's pretty easy to get work study if you go to school full-time," said Dustin Hardman, a WSU junior studying secondary education while working as a cashier at Wildcat Lanes. Work study is a budgetary method that allows departments to pay less money for student employment while still giving the student a decent paycheck. "It's easy foryou to get ajob if you have workstudy status because departments around campus are trying to find more help for less money," Jones said. "For example, if you make $10 per hour, the department would only have to pay $1 it, so it makes it much less expensive to have someone helping in the department." Dr. Brett Perozzi, associate vice president of Student Affairs at WSU, conducted a study of the academic benefits of students working on campus. See Textboks page5 See Work page 3 PHOTD BY KANEEZ HASSAN | IIII SIGNPOST The Weber State University Bookstore is now offering textbook rentals to students. Through renting textbooks, WSU students could save up to 60 percent in book costs. bookstore or one of the two kiosks in the Davis bookstore to rent the textbook. Students will need an e-mail address, W number and a credit card to complete the rental process. Students who do not return their rented textbooks within |