The 2015-16 school year sees changes being made to the BSM computer system. The new operating system, OS X Yosemite, is equipped with plenty of new and improved apps. “It comes with a bunch of new built-in apps like Photo. We’ve also got all of the new Adobe apps, new versions of Photoshop, inDesign, and other apps that people use for creating stuff,” Help Desk Staff member Bill Cheney said.

Students now must have their AirPort on in order to use their computer, which means that they cannot shut it off in order to play games or engage in discouraged activities. “If you shut it off, you get a giant warning,” Cheney said. “[This] makes sure that you are doing what you’re sup- posed to be doing.”

Updates to the computers come early on in the summer, as the testing and re-imaging process takes several weeks. “We usually update the software at the beginning of the summer, and we spend a lot of time making sure the operating system and applications work during the summer. We have to decide [about the changes] at the beginning of the summer because we need to test and reimage,” Cheney said.

The Help Desk wants to make sure that BSM is up to date with the world of technology.

“The big part is to keep people using the latest and greatest stuff,” Cheney said. “We have to keep up with security measures, making sure that you’re safe, making sure that what’s coming out is updated to keep you safe.”

They are not rigid about what can be on computers, however, as input from students is very helpful. “If [students] ever want something on the computer that’s not there, they should always feel free to stop by the Help Desk to let us know,” Cheney said.