For many people, providing IT support for a high profile international initiative, working with and accommodating the needs of university guests and putting in a 13-hour workday sound like the ingredients for a stressful Friday. Not so, however, for a team of Information Technology Services (ITS) staff. Henry Zuniga, manager, ITS On-Site Support, described his team’s involvement in the recent Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) event as an “inspirational, fun and rewarding experience for all involved.”
On Friday, February 13, 2009, CGI U brought nearly 1,000 college students from around the world to The University of Texas at Austin campus. Former President Bill Clinton and a panel of celebrities and business leaders spoke with the students about taking the initiative to solve world problems and shape a better future.
ITS is often involved in providing IT support and Internet access when large events and conferences like CGI U take place on campus. For CGI U, Zuniga and seven staff members from ITS On-Site Support and Networking worked together to ensure computers, printers, and Internet access functioned smoothly.
To prepare for the event, hundreds of Guest EIDs were created to grant wireless Internet access for CGI U visitors. “Everyone who came to the event came to participate in discussions and observe the speeches, not to check their e-mail or browse the Web,” said Zuniga. “It turned out that we were a little over-prepared in this area.” In the end, only a handful of Guest EIDs were actually claimed.
Participants in this philanthropic event were not the only ones motivated to be of help and service to others. Zuniga smiled while reminiscing on how he and his team tried to assist CGI U personnel in any way they could. “It was just the mood of the event,” he observed. Simple things like getting water for harried CGI U personnel during one especially busy point in the day was reciprocated with respect and appreciation for the team of ITS staff and all they did to help the day be a success.
“We did our best for the CGI U personnel and had a great time contributing to this important cause,” Zuniga concluded. “We hope that one day soon this event will return to the university and that we will have the opportunity to help out again.”