Published in the Creightonian Online February 11, 1998
By Stephanie Kidd, News Editor
Web site offers new e-mail access
CollegeSide provides link to metro colleges
“Students want a way to check their e-mail over breaks…
(YuChing Chiang Arts & Sciences Sophomore)
With CollegeSide they can.”
What originated as a Web site for a Kiewit Residence Hall floor has transformed into a convenient way for Creighton students to check their e-mail accounts while away from campus. Arts & Sciences sophomore YuChing Chiang brainstormed with University of Nebraska at Omaha sophomore Frank Mitchell last summer about a Web site that could establish as local community of college students. Chiang adapted his old Web site to CollegeSide, a Web site he and Mitchell established as a way for college students to connect with other students. The most popular link from the CollegeSide site, according to Chiang and Mitchell, is the Web e-mail page. This page provides a means for Creighton and UNO students to check their telnet e-mail on the Internet. “Students want a way to check their e-mail over breaks, when they are away from their computers,” Chiang said. “With CollegeSide, they can.” Chiang and Mitchell estimate that more than 500 individuals use CollegeSide weekly, mostly for e-mail. The site is maintained by Chiang and Mitchell, both graduates of Bellevue West High School, and a number of other Creighton University and Bellevue West High School students. Chiang and Mitchell said Creighton’s Web site managers took their suggestion and a new Webmail site linked to Creighton’ homepage currently is being tested. CollegeSide also provides other services for college students. Students use CollegeSide to buy, sell and trade used books at the Book Exchange or buy new books online from a book warehouse to save time and money. This site also features a professor evaluation page where students can post comments about Creighton and UNO professors for other students to read before class schedules are chosen. Students can use CollegeSide to calculate their GPA, read jokes and funny stories, search the Internet or find links to sites Mitchell and Chiang believe are of interest to college students. They recently added a virtual office, which Mitchell said they hope will encourage more faculty members to use the site as well as help students organize their schedules. It features a way for faulty members to post a syllabus, assignments or practice quizzes. It also offers a calendar for campus organizations to inform their members of upcoming events. Mitchell said the Virtual Office is easy to manage and can be updated with or without help from him or Chiang. Aside from new options for students, Mitchell said he also hopes to expand their numbers through involvement of other college campuses. He said he hopes to involve
Omaha colleges like Bellevue University and Metropolitan Community College, as well as the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and University of Nebraska at Kearney. With the increase in number of users, Chiang said he is excited about expanding the options on the site.
Future ideas include:
- an art gallery for Creighton art students to show their work
- bulletin boards for campus organizations
- a Student Board of Governors page to advertise events and receive feedback for policy ideas
- posters for sale through the site
Presently, however, Mitchell and Chiang said they are content just to gain
experience through the upkeep of the site. “Right now it is just about us gaining the skills and experience,” Mitchell said.
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