Olivia Wicik
Editor-in-Chief
You’re walking into Hillwood and you pass the front desk, you know that if you have any questions you can stop there and ask, however, have you ever noticed the glass windows directly across from the desk? Behind those windows, is home to the Center for Student Information, which is another important tool for students at LIU Post to take advantage of. At CSI you can be assisted with any of your Post related questions, whether it be about your MyLIU account, how to register for graduation or anything else you may not be sure about. However, many students seem to not know about this handy department.
Jason Pistorino, the Associate Director for CSI, explains exactly what it is that they do. “We want to be a useful source for all students at Post.” There are so many things that the CSI office can provide assistance with, one of the main ones currently being handling iPad pick-ups and payments. And that is only the tip of the iceberg. “We can also teach you how to get into blackboard and everything that is MyLIU related; it’s what we specialize in,” Pistorino continues. No appointments are ever necessary either (unless you are scheduling an iPad pick-up), so whether you need to print an assignment quickly or ask a question, CSI may be helpful to you.
CSI has only been open for a few years and the department is constantly working hard to make it as student friendly as possible. Inside the office you will find couches, a big screen TV, plenty of iPads and even a couple of computers — all there for students to take advantage of. Currently, there are even plans to make it a bit more “visually friendly” for students. According to Pistorino these plans include creating a fun, colorful mural on the walls, as well as anything else that would make the environment more appealing to students. “I think the plans to make it more visually student friendly are great and I want to be involved as much as possible, my friends come in here all the time and they don’t really know how relaxing it is. I think a better image would help us out,” says sophomore Kathryna Gonzalez, an arts management major, who is a student employee at CSI. These plans would be helpful, agrees sophomore Anya Kurkina, a journalism major. “I didn’t know students could just go and hang out. It seems like the couches are just for them, you see a lot of the same people in their all the time, it doesn’t always seem very welcoming.” Although, Kurkina was pleased with the fact that picking up her iPad was easy and didn’t take very long.
The freshmen are first exposed to CSI and what it offers during freshman orientation. Also, students that have iPads from Post have a CSI app on their homepage, which they can click for more information. As a part of the CSI department, there is a gaming lounge upstairs in Hillwood with consoles such as x-box available for students to use. Throughout the year there are tournaments held and it can be a great place for students to go unwind and have some fun. The third part of the department includes a computer lab, also located upstairs in Hillwood, that students can use anytime for as long as they want. In the computer lab you can print 10 black and white pages for free, after that they are 10 cents apiece, or 25 cents for color. The fax machine in there is also available for students. During midterms and finals, print amnesty is offered.
With all of these useful tools being offered, it is a shame that many students do not know about CSI. Senior Kim Cruz, an electronic media major was one of those students that wasn’t aware of the department. “CSI… as in the show?” Kim wondered. Sadly, there are many more students whose minds go in a similar direction when asked about CSI. However, once students are informed about all that is offered they are more than keen to take advantage of the services. Kim Poncet, a freshman childhood education major says, “I would like to learn more about CSI and what they can help me with.” Gonzalez also adds, “Basically, we’re a tool that LIU Post provides and students should really take full advantage of it, any concerns, worries, or information they’re not sure about, come here and we’ll give you the best answer we can.” For more information on CSI go to www.csi.liu.edu or just pop in and visit Jason Pistorino or Coordinator, Jennifer Polis.
Be First to Comment