Atherton Union’s computer lab has moved to Dawg Den in C-Club. Photo by Regan Koster.
KIRSTEN ADAIR I STAFF REPORTER I kadair@butler.edu
The computers previously located in the Atherton Union computer lab have been relocated to Dawg Den in C-Club. The move was due to lack of student use.
“We’ve discovered that eight times out of 10, [students] are dropping in, printing and leaving,” said Wade Javorsky, assistant director of operations at Butler’s IT department. “Over half of the computers are overkill.”
Javorsky said the computer lab’s purpose changed over time. Whereas students used to depend on school computers to complete work, many students now work from personal computers and use the lab mainly for printing. The old computer lab will most likely be turned into office space for student affairs.
Gia Alkire, a senior human movement and health science major, said she will miss the old lab.
“I’m sad because I miss the seating area, but it’s nice because I don’t have to use my ID to get in [to the new space],”Alkire said. “[The old lab] was an easier place to seclude myself, and it was easier to focus. I don’t like going to the library.”
Alkire said she dislikes the new location in Dawg Den because it feels less like a study space and more like a social area.
Some students think the move was a change for the better. Ben Jamison, a first-year marketing and finance major, said the first question he asked when he saw the new lab was, “Why?” Although it took time to adjust, he said the atmosphere in the Dawg Den is more comfortable.
“I like how it’s not silent, like if you make any noises you don’t feel like you’re distracting everyone else,” Jamison said.
Unlike the computer lab, the Dawg Den does not require students to scan their IDs in order to access the remaining eight computers and two printers.
Nick Ruddell, a senior actuarial science major, said he locked himself out of the lab in the past and didn’t realize it had moved until someone told him. He said he likes the functionality of the Dawg Den now. Previously, the area was a soft space for students.
“I think it’s nice they’re taking advantage of this space,” Ruddell said.
