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Blackboard site charges for mobile application BY RACHEL CROSS GVL ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Having free and accessible tools available on mobile devices is a convenient way for students at Grand Valley State University to check things such as their grades, schedules or student account balance. One service, the Blackboard site, has recently started charging students $1.99 per year for accessing their site through mobile devices. Sue Korzinek, director of Information Technology, said Blackboard started the charge in KORZINEK September 2012. “Blackboard is the vendor that controls all of the costs and marketing of the Blackboard application,” Korzinek said. She added that the decision for Blackboard to change its model of access for the mobile application was due to its contract being up. “Blackboard originally partnered with Sprint and only offered the app for free on just Android phones,” Korzinek said. “Since a lot of people were using these free services, Blackboard didn’t want to give up on creating a new marketing plan.” She said the mobile app that the company had in the beginning would have cost GVSU $50,000 per year for all students to use it with any cell carrier, and GVSU didn’t have the money to spend on this product. “We (IT) were having conversations with Blackboard all along, especially in the beginning when they wanted to charge GVSU $50,000,” Korzinek said. “We told them that they
SEE BLACKBOARD, A2
ROBERT MATHEWS | GVL
Attention, please: Advances in new technologies have created even more distractions that inhibit student ability to focus on academics first.
OVERCOMING
PROCRASTINATION BY SARAH HILLENBRAND GVL SENIOR REPORTER
P
eople all over the world struggle with a common problem: procrastination. Students at Grand Valley State University are no exception, but before you let that buzzing in your pocket take priority over that midterm coming up, there are ways to not only curb the negative effects of digital overload, and shed some light on to why our gadgets have become such a big issue in the first place. “Some people are more likely to procrastinate, some are less likely and want to get things done,” said Eric Klingensmith, coordinator of crisis services and staff psychologist in the GVSU Counseling Center. “It depends on their learning style, how they manage their anxiety, and how they organize and manage their time. Everyone is going to be a little bit different with that.” Though individual reasons for distraction come in many shapes and sizes, vastly different from person to person, Klingensmith said there are some common threads in the phenomena of procrastination. Anxiety, he said, is one of them. “When we get overwhelmed by something, we generally tend to put it off, maybe until we have
DANIELLE FRITZ | GVL GRAHPIC
to and once we get focused on it,” he said. “The bigger the project seems, the more people tend to deflect and do something else.” Karel Swanson, program coordinator for structured learning assistance and an academic adviser for pre-major students, said she thinks there are three main reasons why students procrastinate. The first boils down to pressure - the fact that some students feel the need to pursue perfection, and perform at a level they just may not be able to achieve. The second is all about perspective. Swanson said some students might have an unrealistic perception of how much time they’ve allocated for a specific task. Finally, just like Klingensmith, Swanson said the third major reason for student procrastination is being overwhelmed, a common diagnosis for college-aged students. “(Students) are sometimes just feeling overwhelmed, perceiving that they have too much and not knowing where to start, so they just keep putting off starting,” Swanson said. With a 488 million regular users of Facebook’s mobile application, as reported by
SEE JOURNEY, A2
GVSU organization promotes volunteering, breaks stereotypes BY Kara Haight GVL STAFF WRITER
Volunteering, promoting service and breaking stereotypes are just some of the activities of Grand Valley State University’s student organization Hunger and Homelessness. The members of the group spend their free time spreading awareness of food shortage and the homeless. Katelyn Winslow is the current president of the organization, which was founded in fall 1989 and was one of the first volunteer driven student organizations. Winslow said the group sparked her interest by its aspect of community service. “I loved the idea of contributing locally, (having) an impact
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that was visible,” she said. Since Winslow took over the position of president, she said her focus has been building relationships within the group while continuing volunteer work throughout the Grand Rapids area. One unique aspect of the organization is the extensive amount of volunteering done by its members. Hunger and Homelessness members volunteer every weekend, usually at food banks or homeless organizations, said Winslow, adding that each volunteer opportunity is a chance to impact members. “The food banks, specifically Feeding America and Kids Food Basket, provide a look at how immense the problem of food insecurity is in West Michigan,” Win-
slow said. “Their operations are mind-boggling and rely heavily on volunteers.” Lauren Branson, the advertising chair for the student organization, said while the club is centered at GVSU, a main goal is to reach further beyond campus. “We all enjoy being active with the community and we have fun while we are making a difference,” Branson said. With their volunteer work ranging from helping organizations such as the YMCA and Bethany Christian Services, Winslow said volunteering to help the homeless is close to her heart. “There is a stereotypical home-
HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS OF GVSU | COURTESY
SEE VOLUNTEERING, A2
Breaking bread: Students volunteer at the Kids Food Basket as part of the Hunger and Homelessness groups activities to feed the homeless.
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