“I was really frustrated because I didn’t feel like I had done anything to break it.”

Senior Matt Burdeshaw’s hard drive on his computer stopped working and, eventually, his whole computer. “My computer screen has broken a couple of times [as well, but] I usually wait until it’s absolutely necessary to get it fixed because it takes so long.”

Burdeshaw feels that these school computers break “so often” that those who fix them are “usually swamped.”

Some changes have been made to speed up the process of returning the newly-fixed computers back to their owners. According to Vice Principal of Student Affairs and Technology Brian Powell, the time between dropping your computer off and picking it up has shortened considerably since last year.

“Last year I sent my computer back for a new screen and it took [about] four weeks,” junior Jack Ey said. “This year I [have] had to get more than eight things replaced, and Mr. Vitucci said it would be back in about three weeks. It came back in a week and a half. The fix and delivery was very fast, [so] I [am] very pleased with the improvement.”

The cause is DSR, a “premier technology solution provider” according to its website, coming twice a week now, rather than once.

“We thought it would be best to work with our computer repair company, DSR, which a vast majority of our students purchase through, to increase the number of visits for pickups and drop-offs,” Powell said.

Sophomore Anna Smith says that going without her computer in school is challenging. “I have a Lenovo X-230 tablet, and [on Dec. 3] I had to take it in to the tech lab for the first time because I had a Chrome virus. I got it back first thing [on Dec. 5 in the] morning so I had to go without it for two nights and a full day of school,” sophomore Anna Smith said. “If I had to go without it longer it would have been difficult, and I would’ve wanted a loaner.”

Usually, students who send out their laptops for an extended time can get a loaner. However, Many loaners that are returned to the tech desk after usage are damaged in some way.

“I would be reluctant to lend my personal items to someone who returns it to me in poor condition,” Director of Technology Greg Russell said. “Similarly, as a steward of the school, I would be reluctant to provide loaners to those who return them in damaged condition.”

According to Powell, the loaner system is phasing out, which is why “there are loaners, but not for freshmen. It’s not really something that the school can continue to financially support.”

Powell estimated that the average cost of computers ranges from $1,000 with warranty to $2,000 with warranty. Because there will be no more loaners for incoming students from here on, Powell “strongly [recommends] that they buy the warranty because it guarantees the life of the computer while they’re here at John Carroll.”

However, Powell does not want to see the loaner program go away altogether.

“I think that we shouldn’t be spending the school’s resources on the program. What I would like to see happen is the senior class donate their computers to the school,” Powell said. “Let’s say just twenty seniors give us their computers. We [then] have twenty working computers that we can use for the next year.” According to Powell, the school will even accept malfunctioning computers to use for parts.

Freshman Tucker Bailey would like to see the seniors do this as well. “I think it’s a good idea for them to donate their computers if they aren’t going to use it in college [so that] freshman [can] get loaners,” Bailey said. He feels that he “definitely” would be in need of a loaner for the future.

“I will donate my PC computer because I won’t have a use for it next year,” senior Nicole Clauter said. For college, Clauter will be buying a Mac, giving JC its first potential senior loaner computer.

Elizabeth Driver is a Copy Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.