By Carsten Poss

“I just got this new computer,” says Ryan Wuennecke, student at MHS, as he effortlessly pulls off the keyboard cover. He turned in his old Dell laptop to the library to upgrade to a newer version, but this new computer was already damaged. It’s no secret that the computers provided for students at Memorial High School in Eau Claire, Wisconsin are pieces of junk. But why exactly are they so finicky? 

The majority of students at MHS will agree that the computers are not as capable as they should be. A random survey of 30 students at the school shows 100% of students are not happy with the laptops provided. 

This unlikeability can be linked to many issues, one of these being the battery. Batteries that die so fast they might as well have not been charged are often reported to IT, and my computer was one of them. In fact, I am on my fourth computer just in the first quarter this year due to battery malfunctions. On average, between 20-50 kids have to go in to get a different computer daily. 

“For the price of replacing one school computer, you can get a way better private computer,” says student Sam Recine about the unreasonable relationship between the function and price of the school computers. This is aggravating to students because school computers are not exactly durable (i.e., Ryan in the first paragraph) so it is not uncommon for the full replacement fee to be paid. When a laptop breaks while it’s checked out under your name, you might have to pay the fee, even if you weren’t the reason it broke.

Another big point of contention for high schoolers is that the Middle schools in the district just got brand new touchscreen laptops. The software is new as of this year, and the shells are made of much more durable plastic. I will admit, seeing my younger brother load Google instantly on his laptop does inspire jealousy.

“They’re so fast!” Said my brother, Oliver Poss, when I asked him if they were really all that.

I discovered the reason for lacking computers from one of the school’s IT support specialists, Austin Risler.  First of all, he says, the computer’s hardware is from 2017 – 8 years ago, as of this year. At this time, it was actually regarded as a pretty good chunk of plastic. However, the tech world moves fast, and the outdated and easily breakable design is no longer acceptable, especially for highschoolers, who have been known to be destructive. 

Secondly, the software is from 2020 (5 years ago.) This is exactly the length of a Dell computer’s life, so all of the computers in the school are swiftly approaching the end of their lifespans all at once. This includes the teachers’ devices, which often cause disruptions that can halt classes. 

“It’s not [that] they’re bad, they’re just old,” says Risler. This makes it so when you turn in your broken laptop to get one that still works, you are simply switching to a different computer of the same age that is simply hanging on better.

But there is hope for a better future. When I asked Risler what the solution to the computers was, he told me that they were currently advocating for new devices as soon as next year. However, they have been “advocating for devices next year” for three years now. 

Thankfully, all the technology money was spent on pointless interactive TVs for every room, so students can be enlightened by the daily crossword and animal facts. 

For the time being, all we can do is hope they are replaced before we graduate.