Wireless Internet Being Withheld from Students at University

      Wireless internet abuse by University of North Texas students has led to an increase in internet privileges being withheld from the students, according to school officials.

     “The school doesn’t always tell us when students are doing something like that, so we can’t always help in the case the school steps in,” said Brittney Jarvis, Resident Assistant for Victory Hall.

     Many of the problems are coming from students downloading illegal movies over the schools WIFI, which is monitored continuously by UNT employees. The school can stop a student from using the schools WIFI at any moment if negative or illegal activity is found, Jarvis said.

     “I didn’t ever think about it; I have always watched and downloaded movies off the internet before and I didn’t even think about how it could be wrong when I was doing it here because it was something that I have always done,” said Matthew Pence, a resident of Kerr Hall.

     Students are told many different things they should and shouldn’t do when moving into a dormitory on campus. For many students this is the first time on their own and away from home, which can lead them to doing things without rationally thinking, Jarvis said.

     “I think that students don’t realize the repercussions from their actions at the moment,” Jarvis said. “I think they are smart enough to realize that it’s not okay since it’s illegal, but it still happens all the time and we [RAs] have to jump through hoops to make sure they stop so they don’t get in further trouble.”

     Students easily can forget information they are informed when they are being told so many different things, it can be hard to remember everything you are told when moving in and school is starting, Pence said.  

     “I wish the school would send out a warning when we [UNT students] are doing something through the schools WIFI that we shouldn’t be, because some of us aren’t always sure what is and isn’t allowed and I wouldn’t want to be punished if I simply didn’t know or didn’t remember,” Pence said.