Shabby Lab?

MCA speak out on the inadequacy of the computer labMCA students wanting to print or work on a paper in Shephard Hall often find themselves wandering over to the NAC. The shabby lab, located in room 462 is often the subject of complaints and eye rolls among MCA students. “I think it’s stupid for there to be only one lab accessible to an entire program,” said Aurea Gonzalez, an ad/PR major. “And even if there was just one lab, I feel like there should be more than one printer. There are so many times when the printer just doesn’t work."Despite digital curriculum that requires many students to work online, CCNY has not accommodated MCA students with the necessary technology to get their work done. “The internet connection sucks, and we can’t print anything out correctly. We have to go to one computer that prints papers one at a time and it takes forever,” said Dominique Dajer another ad/PR major. “We have an inadequate amount of technology equipment. I think all of us are fed up; we pay too much to be dealing with this and we need to take charge.”The tiny lab is often packed with students attempting to print papers or work on assignments in between classes. “There’s not enough computers for people to work on; there’s not enough space,” said Janis Jimenez, an English major and journalism minor. “Also sometimes you need to have a little quiet time but you can’t do that because there’s not enough space to do it.”The lab is used so often that whenever it is not packed, to student’s disappointment it’s usually being used by a class. “I don’t think there should be any classes because there are times when people who don’t have class come to print things because of their own schedules,” said Gonzalez. “Whenever there is a class it’s like we can’t come in and do our work because we don’t want to disrupt and we’re not allowed. So it’s stupid to have to go all the way to the NAC.”Many MCA students see the broken-down computer lab as a symbol for how the college feels about their major. “We are not important enough," said Jimenez. "Science students are going to go out in to the world and start making money; MCA students...we won’t make as much as a science person."The lab forces MCA student’s to wonder where exactly our tuition is going. “We are both being charged the same amount of money but to educate an MCA student does not cost as much as it might cost to educate an engineering student, “said Jimenez “ All my money’s going to the science students; it's going toward their education. “