USC computing center remodeled for students

The USC Computing Center in King Olympic Hall reopened its doors Monday with improvements to its facilities and technology.

The new area includes collaborative spaces for students, a classroom with 33 computers, 16 open computers, 30 loaner laptops, wireless printing, eco-friendly mobile furniture and a more interactive layout, according to Emanuel Alvarez, a learning environment support specialist.

“It used to look very institutional and old school with just rows of computers,” Alvarez said. “We wanted to make it more accessible and comfortable for students.”

The computing center in KOH, along with the two other learning centers on campus in the Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center and the Waite Phillips Hall of Education, now offer laptops and computers that are dual-boot so students can choose whether to work with Mac or PC software.

Some students like the new layout of the center, but say they wish it had more computers.

“It’s in a convenient location and it’s pretty comfortable to do work here, but there are not really as many computers as the old one,” said Soyoung Kang, a senior majoring in biomedical engineering.

Though there are fewer computers in the updated center, Joseph Cevetello, the director of Learning Environments, said the space is designed with students in mind.

“Almost 90 percent of our students have laptops so we want them to use their computers in a more comfortable and collaborative environment,” Cevetello said.

Students can rent the laptops for free for four hours with a USC ID card and work together in the shared spaces that include a whiteboard and 60-inch display boards for students who want to demonstrate their powerpoints in a soundproof room.

The center is accessible for all students, faculty and staff every day from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.