In order to access many of Trinity’s online academic services you must be connected to the Virtual Private Network.  I am taking a course this semester using Moodle instead of Blackboard to house our assignments and important links.  I found out the hard way that Moodle requires users be connected to Trinity’s VPN in order to access some content.  Unfortunately, my VPN connection and current laptop suddenly decided to part ways leaving me in the lurch and scavenging for a solution to my Moodle issue.

I still don’t know what made my laptop or VPN reject each other after such a long and loving connection but I do know that with finals looming I had to get these two back together.  I am not entirely digitally incompetent so I tried de-installing and re-installing.  Then I tweaked firewall settings, edited account details, wrote emails and made calls seeking and implementing advice… unsuccessfully.  As a last resort, I schlepped my laptop down to tech support where after a couple of hours my VPN connection and laptop were finally reunited. 

Allow me to recommend that you go directly to tech support, better known as the Computing Center, if you encounter any similar problems.  Tips and links for self-service can be located at their website http://www.trincoll.edu/RaetherCtr/ComputingCenter/default.htm however I also started that way and wasted allot of time and energy.  No appointment is required for service and the help desk is staffed most of the day and night.  The tech support student employees and staff are probably better equipped than you to troubleshoot your connection issues, plus they can save your sanity.

As one of three Individual Degree Program senators, I am proud to announce that consensus among IDP students who were in attendance is one approval for Pub Night.  The first Pub Night, hosted in November, offered IDP students an arena to interact with fellow students outside of classrooms.  IDP students generally do not reside or attend parties on campus and therefore rarely find cause to interact with regular students beyond academics. 

The informal atmosphere of Pub Night and presence of of-age only students put IDP students at ease.  IDP and graduate students interacted with classmates and each other and are looking forward to a repeat of this affair on Friday, December 4th. 

Those skeptical about whether campus climate can really be improved over a drink should come to Pub Night.  December’s Pub Night promises to once again provide moderately priced beer and wine and free soft drinks and food.  Guests with proper identification are permitted to attend the affair with Trinity students.  The SGA and IDP are looking forward to keeping Pub Night active and need the support of all students to prove that this is a worthwhile and enjoyable event with real means to improve campus climate.

I have been in contemplation for around a week already. “What to write? How to write? What’s my angle?” Writing for a blog is nothing like writing for the Tripod, right? So, here’s my opinion – facts aside.

Text books are too expensive! No matter what PIRGs or politicians claim they’re going to do about it, textbook prices are undeniably overpriced and on-the-rise. I know that many of you do not pay out of pocket for your books, nor do you pass tangible notes to pay for them. But every semester, I go to the bookstore dreading the final tally as the cashier rings me out. My hands even shudder, occasionally, as I try to nonchalantly fan out my pay check and extend my arm to trade-in SEVERAL hours of hard work.

I swear it wouldn’t hurt as bad if I didn’t know that there must be more cost-effective ways to round-up textbooks. Why is it that students, and teachers, are in denial about the handle these publishing houses and book chains have on us? Should your/my Economics textbook really cost $160? Time-and-again I have attempted to shame my professors into finding more equitable publications. Often, they explain that the reason we cannot use last semester’s text (ones the bookstore would at least have cheaper used copies of) is that the publishing house closed-out one edition and released a “more up-to-date” edition. How much can really change from one year to the next when it comes to Algebra!? Has the primary number system changed, or something? Does E no longer equal mc2? Read the rest of this entry »