The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) has introduced phone-charging stations to campus.
The stations were put into operation Nov. 5, and allow 8-10 cellphones to be charged simultaneously, CUSA president Alexander Golovko said.
One station is situated in the CUSA office, and another in Oliver’s Pub.
Golovko said the chargers were brought to the university to give students the chance to keep their phone batteries full, even if they don’t have chargers on them or wall sockets near them.
“Students nowadays spend a lot of time on their mobile devices and they might forget their chargers or have a battery that dies way faster than they could have predicted,” he said. “We decided this was a good move.”
The chargers were created by a group of former Ryerson University students through their company DanTeb Enterprises, Golovko said. He said CUSA reached out to one of the creators of the company to bring the product to Carleton.
“They’re across the country. We were hoping to get this in September but we had to wait in line because the demand is so high for these machines,” Golovko said.
The stations come at no cost to CUSA, as they make money through advertising, he said.
Golovko said CUSA signed a year-to-year contract with the company for the stations.
In the end, Golovko said the stations will bring money in for CUSA.
“[The company will] make a little bit of money, and we make some money that we then put back into student services,” Golovko said.
Students are responsible for their devices while they’re being charged, but Golovko said the stations were placed strategically so students could sit near them.
“That is why we have [them] in the CUSA office right by the couches . . . and same in Oliver’s. It’s in a very visible place. At the same time I have confidence and trust in our students,” he said.
Jordan Adams, a first-year engineering student, said he thinks the charging stations are a good idea but could also be a security hazard.
“I just don’t trust other people. I wouldn’t just leave it there to charge,” he said. “Anytime someone goes up there I’m thinking they’re taking my phone.”
