More students than ever will be hooking up this fall -- to ResNet, that is. ResNet is being installed in Hill House, Mayer Hall, Stouffer College House, Van Pelt College House and W.E.B. Dubois College House this summer. This will allow students to have enhanced telephone service, a computer connection to PennNet and access to a 55-channel cable television network. But in order to provide these services, Data Communications and Computing Services had to create completely new pathways throughout the dormitories, which were not constructed to accommodate such a system. According to DCCS Project Coordinator Matthew Bixler, construction began for all of the dorms except Mayer Hall on May 25th, and the project is expected to take 10 weeks to complete. Contractors are slated to begin work on Mayer Hall the first week in August. Bixler said the installation process varies by building. For Hill House, contractors had to install an enclosed metallic chaseway to run through each room in the five-level dormitory. They then had to "hack open" walls in order to run the wires into a box. All of the wires connect to the basement through holes in the floor, where an intricate set of trays and pipes were installed along the ceiling. The signal is carried to and from two new communication closets that were created to store all of the power necessary to run the ResNet system. Stouffer College House used a similar system, but since there are stores above the two-story building, DCCS had to coordinate their construction with those tenants. And for Van Pelt and DuBois, contractors built a series of dry wall soffits to accommodate the necessary facilities. Last summer ResNet services were extended into High Rise East, High Rise South, Modern Language College House and Ware College House. By the fall, the only residences that will be not have access to ResNet services are the Quadrangle -- with the exception of Ware College House -- the Graduate Towers and the Castle. Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone said her department faced a tough choice when determining which dorms should be wired for ResNet this summer. Simeone added that a cross-section of residences was selected in order to give students more options. However, she said her department has not yet determined if the remaining buildings will be wired for ResNet next summer. "If we could wave a magic wand, we would do all of them," she said.
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