by SOPHIA SAKELLARIOU, Staff Writer
Projectors not working, computers glitching, a professor who simply doesn’t know where the power button on the podium is— these are all problems Manhattan College students have encountered at least once in their time here. Luckily, Manhattan College students are also just a phone call or email away to fix them and they are the workers of MC’s Information Technology Services (ITS).
Alex Nieves, a sophomore Business Analytics Major and Computer Information Systems minor, is one of the Client Services Technicians at ITS.
“My parents introduced me to computers at a young age and I was always fascinated by how computers worked and their capabilities. When we were young we used to learn how to build computers, built one or two of our own, and got into computer programming as early as 5th Grade! I’ve always found technology fascinating as a subject, career, and hobby! Working at ITS allows me to work on those passions,” Nieves said.
“I actually haven’t also been into technology,” said sophomore Business Management major, Anthony Bradley. “I found out about the job through my brothers of DKE and it’s been a great opportunity for learning more about technology and improving my computer skills.”
In terms of a typical day on the job, one such thing does not exist. The ITS team never knows what curveballs will be thrown at them each day. “There’s always a new issue popping up, but we are able to fix the issue by troubleshooting and asking each other,” said junior Computer Engineering major Frank Vigna.
According to Nieves, the uncertainty of the job is part of the fun. “I think a lot of people believe that ITS employees are masters at technology and know how to handle every situation. While we do have many resources to learn information and we know how to fix most problems, we still receive at least one problem daily that will puzzle us! What’s exciting is that with technology, when you do not know something, you can do so much to learn how to fix the problem!” Nieves said.
He added, “It’s almost like watching House M.D., where the doctors will see the complicated illness and will do tests, try different medications, and sit together and postulate what the error could be. Another similarity we have to doctors is surgery, actually! When you learn how to fix computer hardware, it feels like a basic surgery. You have to have steady hands, know where different parts go where, be careful not to damage any internals, and need to make sure afterward that all parts are functioning correctly.”
The ITS team is responsible for handling tickets. When a professor or student is having a technological issue they can email or call-in said tickets and a member of the ITS team is sent to handle the situation.
“The ultimate goal of the job is to resolve tickets and run around campus to do so. How busy we are doing that honestly depends on the day,” Bradley said.
The ITS team is a very close-knit bunch. “Everyone gets along in the office and we are always able to get the job done by knowing everyone can rely on everyone in the office,” Vigna said.
“I absolutely love my co-workers! We all are very like-minded, since we all are tech nerds, and we have a great time. When we aren’t handling tickets we tell jokes, we laugh, make plans for the weekend, and much more. When you work at ITS, you quickly become friends with everyone, and since they’re all students, it makes the environment very busy but also very fun,” said Nieves.
The ITS team is always here to help the MC community. Next time you see them running around campus, be sure to say hello and thank them for all that they do. After all, not all heroes wear capes, and these certainly save the day when the technology challenged need a helping hand.
Editor’s Note: Alex Nieves is a contributor for The Quadrangle.