Need Help? “Tech” This Out!

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Jesus Regalado Santos, Staff Writer

“My iPad won’t turn on!” “The screen just went blank” “I can’t connect to the WiFi!”

These are just some of the complaints that students say every day at Elkhart High School. Thankfully, there’s a fix for that: the Tech Services Desk.

Behind the desk are student interns who are trained to help students. “They schedule two or more students each hour to work,” explains Kellen Hartman, a sophomore intern who mans the station during 1st period. But, the students are never unsupervised. “There’s a person who works for the school who trains us,” Hartman adds. “He also assists us if we need any help.”

Most of the issues Hartman sees have an easy fix that the students themselves could do.  Thus, Hartman offers some helpful advice. “Always double check the problem and see if there is anything you or your teacher can do before taking it to the Tech Service Desk. If they’re not signed in to their google account, then they can’t sign in to other things–or if they’re not connected to their bluetooth or WiFi, they assume their iPad isn’t working properly.”

But, there are times when the iPad truly isn’t functioning correctly. The most common cause of this is due to student “abuse”–dropping the device or forgetting it’s in the backpack and handling the backpack roughly. “I replaced four of them this morning,” Hartman notes. “We just put in a ticket, and they get a new iPad.”

It is clear that students needing their iPads fixed are getting something out of this program. But, what exactly is in it for the intern? “I am doing this so that I can get the credit and the tech experience,” Hartman admits. Interns not only earn a high school credit, they gain some valuable experience. If interested in pursuing a career in IT, this would be a great place to start. “All you have to do is ask to be a part of their team,” Hartman states. “And, if there’s a spot for you, they’ll add you in!” It couldn’t be any easier.

Those interested in becoming an intern are encouraged to email Tech Services at [email protected]. Located right across from the cafeteria, the Tech Service Desk is open throughout the entire school day for students to ask for help. Surprisingly, not everyone has heard of taken advantage of this offering. “Many walk past and don’t even notice the desk,” Hartman notes. “But, you can be sure that when they need us, they’ll find us!”