by Jennifer Coots
staff writer
A variety of majors, particularly education majors, recently had the opportunity to tour a popular internet company while traveling to BigChalk.com under the leadership of Cabrini’s Information Systems Technology club. BigChalk.com, which is an online help service for kindergarten through 12th grade students, acts as an informational resource for students and schools.
Recently relocating from Wayne to Berwyn, Pa, the internet company has an online service that offers homework help and practice questions that might appear on standardized tests.
The trip included a tour of various areas of the company. Those who attended were exposed to the software department, operations, quality control, sales and marketing center, as well as the data center. The tour lasted about an hour.
Junior Crystal Boodoo, president of the IST club, said that many students needed this type of exposure. “Many students are just working on their computers in their rooms, and not getting enough introduction to external services,” Boodoo said. “The whole point of a club is to get people involved in a fun way outside of the classroom.”
The IST club, which just started last year, is an academic club whose purpose is to get people involved in technology. Computer majors are not the only majors who can become involved in the club. “We want to open the club up to as many people as possible,” Boodoo said. “We want everyone from accounting to communications to education majors, or those who express any interest.” The membership base isn’t large since the club was just started, but as Boodoo organizes more events, she hopes more individuals will become interested.
The club also proves to be an excellent networking opportunity for students. It often holds IST alumni events, where alumni who have established themselves in a company can be a contact and offer advice to students.
Not all events are academic. On Oct. 27, the IST club will to travel to New York to attend a free major event involving some of the top names in internet computing. For more information, contact Boodoo before Oct. 20. Adobe Systems, Dell Computer and Creative Labs are just a few of the 100 companies expected to attend. The companies will be displaying any innovative strides that they’ve made in the past five years. Everything from software improvement to new products will be introduced.
