There are heroes we hear about on an almost daily basis. It isn’t difficult to appreciate and admire the courage, commitment, and skill that Police, Firefighters, and the Emergency Medical Services provide to us. These “first responders” voluntarily run towards what most people run from. It is a rare situation when they deal with people who are not hurt, scared, and at a loss as to what is happening to them. There are, on this campus, a dedicated corps of heroes who are on duty and ready to respond to a cry for help anywhere on campus. I am talking about the young men and women who are the go-to people we need when our computers have the equivalent of a cyber-nervous breakdown, when a piece of instructional AV equipment stages a digital revolt or when we have been reduced to a state of emotional jelly because our new Windows 10 is as user friendly as a series of hieroglyphics. I am talking about the IT Support Staff.  

Think about it. They are the ones who will rush to any classroom on campus and attack with skill and determination any technological breakdown that is an impediment to instruction and learning. Time after time they respond to students who are in what is the techno equivalent of academic cardiac arrest at a cubicle in the library because their 12-page research paper has somehow disappeared. These IT first responders will provide technical CPR to the computer. They are techie EMTs. Some are even trained to do CPR on the student who they have just informed that their paper has gone to the great beyond.

Face it, they’re heroes. You can phone them and receive advice on solving a problem from a voice that is caring, patient, and dedicated. They have to tolerate  moans, groans, and downright bad behavior from unhappy patrons. I have seen them respond to boorish behavior with a professionalism that is beyond the call of duty. So, the next time that you are in the library, go to the IT service desk and say thanks to whoever is on duty. They’ve earned it.