An online staple for SDSU courses will be completely eliminated at the end of this year.

The decision was made not to renew the yearly contract with WebCT, a course management system. The contract expired this past June.

Campus Edition 4.1, the version currently being used by WebCT, has been dropped. Plans are to replace it with a different program.

WebCT will remain available to students, but starting in January 2007, support will be significantly reduced, and there will be no further enhancements, in preparation for the new system.

While the contract has expired, the company will continue to float its services until a new vendor has been selected.

A task force, led by Josh Riedy of the Board of Regents, has been formed to review the course management systems currently available. A Board of Regents round table meeting was held Sept. 12 to discuss the requirements for a new system.

“It’s still very much in the preliminary stages,” said Students’ Association Vice President Kat Brandtjen.

Some students are ready for a change.

“For the most part, I don’t use WebCT a whole lot,” said senior Libby Roghair. “But when I do use it, I don’t like how the discussions are set up and I don’t like how they leave last semester’s classes on there. It’s confusing and annoying.”

Other students doubt they would even notice a change.

“I find WebCT to be useful but it’s hardly ever needed in my classes. I don’t think I’d even notice if they changed it,” said senior Luke Christie-Perkins, a music education major.

Other students enjoy its conveniences and log in on a weekly basis.

“It’s nice to get fast feedback on tests,” said Becky Martin, a sophomore nursing major.

Despite undergoing changes, WebCT is expected to function normally for the remainder of the year.

#1.884230:4230038399.jpg:WebCT2.jpg:Junior Melissa Plaetz, psychology major, is reading notes on WebCT in the NFA Computer Lab. Plaetz, and other students, will soon have to learn how to maneuver a new program in order to get class notes and other course content. WebCT will no longer be available to students and faculty after the spring semester.:Christy Wey

The infamous freshmen 15 may be a little less common for some students this year.

In an effort to increase health awareness on campus, Brown Hall has recently become home to the Healthy Lifestyles community, handing over its previous Living/Learning Community theme to Mathews Hall. Up until the 2006 fall semester, Mathews was known as the substance-free hall.

In addition to adopting the substance-free policy, Brown is encouraging a well-balanced lifestyle for students.

“There’s definitely a different feel to it this year,” said Joanna Davis, Brown’s residence hall director.

Students are also encouraged to make use of the dining options available to them, while making an effort to eat three balanced meals a day. Vending machines will still be available to students, but they now have healthier options, such as juice or Powerade instead of pop.

“We’re not trying to eliminate soda completely,” Davis said. “It just might not be the best idea to be dependent on sixteen of them a day.”

Brown’s resident assistants are also taking an active roll to encourage healthy living habits.

“There’s more of a focus on healthier lifestyles, not just substance-free lifestyles,” said fourth-floor RA Suzie Watts. “We’re encouraging healthy sleep patterns, good study habits, a balanced diet, exercise, things like that.”

Brown Hall students were encouraged to attend the promotional free week of classes at the HPER center. A few of the numerous programs offered included land aerobics, water aerobics and spinning.

HPER classes are available to students year-round for a fee of either $70 a semester or $20 a month. However, a facility membership, which normally costs $35 a month, is free of charge to both students and faculty.

While the HPER is widely popular among SDSU students, some are instead drawn to the Powershop Gym. Located in downtown Brookings, the Powershop Gym offers students many of the same fitness opportunities the HPER has, but some students feel it’s less busy, therefore more desirable.

“Nobody wants to work out with the football team,” said Evan Delaney, a sophomore music and German major. “When you’re 180 pounds and you’re trying to do reps next to a 360-pound lineman, it’s just not fun.”

Many students, like senior psychology major Laura Klein, choose the HPER out of convenience.

“It’s nice because I live close to campus so I can just walk there and back, and I don’t have to spend money on a membership,” she said.

#1.884337:1556942259.jpg:heathlyhabits01.jpg:SDSU now offers more choices for healthy living on campus.: