Cable television returned to New Hall Tuesday afternoon after a problem with the power supply cut off students’ connections last Thursday evening.
“Our process worked, and it worked fairly quickly,” said Christina Huszcza of Student Academic and Support Services’ Technology Communications department.
Huszcza said when students began calling ResNet with questions about their cable connections, ResNet determined the problem was not with the students’ equipment and contacted Information Systems and Services, GW Campus Cable TV and District Cablevision. They found the problem was in New Hall’s main closet, affecting the power supply to the entire hall, she said.
“It was machinery, and machinery breaks sometimes,” Huszcza said.
Sophomore Jared David, a New Hall resident, said he came home one night last weekend to find one of his roommates sitting on the couch “looking delirious” because he did not have anything to do without cable.
David said his fraternity planned to watch Monday Night Football at his room as a rush event but they needed to change venues because of the cable problem.
David said two of his roommates discussed the situation with their community facilitator.
“I have a TV, and it’s annoying,” senior resident Hallie Mellon said. She said when she and her roommates wanted to “sit down and do nothing and procrastinate” in front of the television, they could not.
Jermaine Williams, the community director for New Hall, said no residents called him about the problem, but he “received word that a lot of people called ResNet.” After communicating with ResNet, he put up signs telling residents that the cable was defunct but would be restored by Tuesday.
New Hall is one of GW’s “wired” halls, Huszcza said. ResNet provides cable and Ethernet services to all wired halls, which include all main campus residence halls except Riverside Towers Hall, the Aston and the Dakota.
“A cable signal is guaranteed (in those facilities),” Huszcza said.
“GW guarantees the cable signals at the outlet and the maintenance and operation of the GW Campus Cable TV system,” according to “GWired,” a publication that outlines technology services on campus.
Last weekend’s New Hall cable problem was the first of such problems this year, Huszcza said. Most students who ResNet aided have had problems with the cable jacks in their rooms, missing parts of their own cable equipment and other problems. Huszcza said ResNet provides troubleshooting information on the Internet as well as technicians to help students deal with these issues.
“Not too much has been brought to my attention” about other cable problems, said Mark Levine, assistant dean for the Community Living and Learning Center. The only other similar problem that he said he was aware of was at Riverside, where the cable connection was fluctuating. Riverside, not one of the wired halls, has cable capabilities, but not Ethernet connections or the “phone per pillow” service of other halls.
