The school revamped its supply of computers this month with 114 new towers and monitors.

The Lowell Technology Committee funded the new PCs. Thirty-one were added to the library, 49 to the Language Lab in Rm S105, and 34 to Rm S106. The Weighted Student Formula annually allots $20,000 to fund new technology equipment. In addition, the Parent Teacher Student Association matched the $20,000 from WSF funds, the Lowell Alumni Association contributed $25,000 and the language department added $18,000, which it had saved up. The final budget amounted to $83,000 altogether to fund the new PCs.

Students found the new computers much faster and more helpful with schoolwork than the previous ones. “Before, logging onto the computers took a while,” sophomore Camilo Grabowski said. “Now, these computers are much more efficient and faster.”

The technology fund created a computer plan in the fall of 2009. “The Tech Committee’s goal is to have up-to-date computers available for students and staff,” Linda Guitron, according to librarian and chair of the Lowell Tech Committee.

Although the PCs replaced the old computers, the Committee plans to reinstall the old computers in offices and other rooms throughout the school because they are still usable. “The old computers will be reinstalled for the faculty,” said Alex Hsieh, the information system administrator. “Each department head will decide what to do with the four to five old computers they will be given.”

The new PCs have been distributed throughout the library. Of the 27 new PCs in the library computer lab, three replaced the Apple iMacs, which were in front of the lab. One of the PCs is now in the back of the lab, for faculty use only. “Since the Journalism room in S107 needed new Apple iMacs, the Lowell Tech Committee decided to replace three of the Macs with PCs for Journalism,” librarian Alison Shepard said.

With the new computers, Hsieh believes that the students’ academics will improve. “Not everyone has a computer at home, so the new PCs allow the students to finish their work faster,” he said. “The school has a responsibility to help the students and this shows that they care.”