BAYBAY CITY, Leyte – Limitations on the wireless connection stalled and bungled the annual Quiz Show of University Interdorm Student Body (UISB) at the VSU gymnatorium on November 13, 2017.
The participants were supposed to use a web app called Kahoot It, but the WiFi provided by VSU could not accommodate the number of devices. Each competing group has to use a smartphone or tablet to connect to the app for the game to work properly. The personnel took nearly two hours to set up the WiFi, delaying the show.
According to Mr. Norman Villas of the VSU Computer Center (UCC), the sheer number of participants exceeded the accommodation ability of the WiFi.
"The WiFi could only accommodate up to 25 people. There were 60 teams with each member attempting to connect to the WiFi, so that tripled the amount of devices," said Villas and added that the UCC was not briefed of the number of devices that they had to accommodate so they weren't able to prepare accordingly.
Upon the advice of Prof. Manolo B. Loreto, Dean of Students, the officers eventually settled on carrying the program with the usual chalk and cardboard, and the questions read aloud. The event was cut short after the preliminary rounds due to the 10pm curfew.
UISB President Junrey Goles has since apologized and claimed responsibility for the issues that arose in staging the event.
"All the UISB officers along with our dear adviser, Mr. Derek Alviola, are taking the accountability for this because we know that we did not prepare a Plan B for our event," said Goles in a Facebook status.
"We became very excited about using technology and applying changes in our yearly quiz show without looking at the the technical difficulties that we may encounter. This is a humbling experience for all of us. We don’t take offense for all the boos that we got from everyone. We admit to our lapses and we would like to move forward from this very embarrassing experience."
Goles also announced changes in the mechanics.
"As our way of making up for all the troubles we made, there will be no elimination for the second round of the quiz show. We will just add up the score that all the participating teams have accumulated in the first round and will use this as initial points for your team. All the teams will be allowed to continue on the next round and will still have the chance to win this competition."
The final round of the quiz show is scheduled on November 18, Saturday at the VSU Gymnatorium.
Editor's Note: Mr. Derek Alviola, who serves both as an adviser to UISB and Amaranth, has not been involved in the coverage of this story.