AT&T to Install Speedier Internet

Trinity International University’s (TIU) internet speed will increase more than 400 percent no later than Apr. 10. The new technology is a sizeable investment of close to $30,000 a year, said Information Technology (IT).

The expansion of the TIU campus, also known as Trinity Hall, furthered the motivation for a completely wireless campus and caused an unanticipated surge in students’ internet use – massive downloading and uploading traffic called for extra bandwidth.

In December, IT signed a contract with AT&T that was to enhance internet bandwidth from 4.5 megabytes (MB) to 20 MB. IT has done their part to ensure a timely transition, but there is still work to be done by AT&T – and the target date is fast approaching.

“We’ve been waiting on them,” said IT Director of Networking and Telecommunications Kelvin Tohme. “It takes time, it’s not about flipping a switch.”

The State of Illinois has approved AT&T’s architectural and engineering design plans and have granted work permits for the trenching and boring portion of the project that went underway Mar. 14. AT&T also installed relay rack and Cisco switch networking equipment in the IT room in the basement of the Mansion to prepare for the increase in bandwidth.

But AT&T still needs to pull and terminate the fiber optic cable from their off-campus site to the Mansion – to be done by Today – complete connectivity testing of the new circuit, and cut over to the 20 MB bandwidth by the Apr. 10 deadline.

Once the new technology service is established, any future need to increase the bandwidth is just a phone call and a few business days away.

“The internet experience should be quite pleasant,” said Tohme.

A Different Kind of Madness

Seven teams were ranked, a round-robin bracket was drawn and two handfuls of Trinity International University (TIU) business majors jumped into bumper-carts to compete in an aggressive Whirly Ball tournament that lasted until midnight Wednesday.

The free event was student picked, organized, marketed, and managed by the Trinity Council on Business (TCB), a club led by Business Professor Sidney Yeomans and elected officers. It is open to business majors, minors and undecided students, and convenes once a month in lower Melton on Wednesday nights.

This year TCB has alternated between serious and fun events; from an Executive Advisory Board (EAB) Panel Discussion and a bowling outing with the Business Professors in the Fall, to an Alumni Business Forum, where alumni were invited on campus to share about their business experience, and a Business Etiquette Dinner in the spring.

Because TIU is a small campus, building relationships is key and networking is helpful for business students to find a job after graduation, said TCB. Their mission is to provide a conducive environment for spiritual, academic, and personal growth in preparation for Christ-centered leadership in the business world.

“Our main purpose is to facilitate relationships between current business students, faculty and alumni,” said TCB Co-President and accounting major Tim Jeanson. WhirlyBall is an unconventional, yet entertaining and active way to cater to that vision.

“It was a good time of fellowship and competition,” said TIU business-accounting major Jason Kofroth. The activity was fitting for a business club event, since nearly half of all business majors, a male-dominated major, are involved in Trinity Athletics.

The Whirly Ball court was similar to the size of a basketball court, but it included elements from several different sports. Hoops were laid flat in the middle of the backboards that suspended from opposite walls. The absence of out-of-bounds was similar to ice-hockey, and the use of a miniature quasi-lacrosse stick was the means by which a softball-sized whiffle ball was scooped from the ground, passed between teammates and shot against the target.

Players don’t just ride on bumper cars aimlessly.

Each shot that ricocheted against the backboard earned one point, while a shot hitting the target earned two. In the championship game, Jeanson scored a point with only 10 seconds remaining to break the 2-2 tie and secure a tournament win for his team.

“It was a very sweet experience to get together with my fellow business majors and win,” said TIU business-human resources major Jonathan Ott. These kind of activities are important because it helps the students spend time with their business classmates and professors outside of the classroom, said TCB.

Just before TIU’s spring break, Jeanson and TCB Co-President Josh Antioho invited Professor Yeomans for dinner at their off-campus house. They students made side-dishes while Professor Yeomans brought nine steaks to grill.

“Having fun is a key part of keeping our Christian faith real and exciting,” said Professor Yeomans, who also competed in the Whirly Ball tournament.

“He is definitely one of the coolest professors,” said Jeanson, who has made the most of his involvement with TCB. On Jun. 29 Jeanson begins a four-year program in the financial department of the Boeing Company in Huntington Beach, Calif.