Doing laundry is never fun, and sometimes trying to find a free machine can feel like banging your head against a wall. Wouldn't it be great if there was a central location you could go to that showed the status of every washing machine and dryer on campus?
Well, my friends, there is. And it's been right in front of your eyes the entire time.
http://chapman.edu/laundryview
Laundryview is a neat little flash application that not only will show you the status of all of the machines on campus, but if you set up an account through Laundryview, you can even get email reminders when your machine is finished, or when your favorite machine becomes available. Even better, Laundryview will also show you statistics about when the most popular time to do laundry is, and give you suggestions about how to maximize your washing efficiency.
There are two caveats, however. First, Laundryview does NOT show you which machines are broken, so it may show more available machines than there really are. Secondly, and I think this is more of a bug than a feature, you MUST access it through the link above. If you go to laundryview.com, it will show you a demo location, and not let you access the Chapman section even if you use the link above afterward. In fact, you will be locked out of the Chapman section until your browsing session ends (usually when you quit the browser). I don't know why it does this, and it certainly can be irritating.
Oh, and kids, you CAN try this one at home.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Unlock your Dorm Room
For some bizarre reason, Res-life doesn't like it when you prop your doors open. I've asked, and they claim that it has to do with fire codes, but I have yet to find the specific fire code they are referencing (if you know something I don't know, leave a comment below). Res-life also gets grumpy when you use the deadbolt to keep the door semi-open. Here's a quick and dirty way to temporarily "unlock" your door so anyone can enter.
Like most hotel room doors, the two door handles on our locks are slightly different. The handle on the inside (dorm-side) is directly linked to the latch on the side, while the handle on the hall side is usually disconnected from the latch. This is why you need a key to enter from the hallway, but not to leave from the room itself.
You can take advantage of these mechanics by simply hanging a heavy object, such as a water bottle or backpack off of the dorm-side handle. The weight of the object will pull the handle down, unlatching the door, and effectively unlocking it. To enter from the hall, just push on the door, and it will open.
The benefits of this are that if you just need to run down the hall to grab some laundry, or are expecting a visitor while you're out, you don't need to fuss with your ID card. The downside is that, well, your room is truly open for anyone to enter, and your laptop would make a pretty penny on the black market. So, if you choose to do this, use with caution.
Like most hotel room doors, the two door handles on our locks are slightly different. The handle on the inside (dorm-side) is directly linked to the latch on the side, while the handle on the hall side is usually disconnected from the latch. This is why you need a key to enter from the hallway, but not to leave from the room itself.
You can take advantage of these mechanics by simply hanging a heavy object, such as a water bottle or backpack off of the dorm-side handle. The weight of the object will pull the handle down, unlatching the door, and effectively unlocking it. To enter from the hall, just push on the door, and it will open.
The benefits of this are that if you just need to run down the hall to grab some laundry, or are expecting a visitor while you're out, you don't need to fuss with your ID card. The downside is that, well, your room is truly open for anyone to enter, and your laptop would make a pretty penny on the black market. So, if you choose to do this, use with caution.
Two Dinners for the Swipe of One
Like it or hate it, it's hard to beat the res-life caf for convenience. Best of all, they're pretty lenient about dinner swipes.
Let's say, hypothetically, that you are all out of meal swipes for the week, and you are hungry. Your roommate still has a meal swipe left, but she's hungry too and doesn't want to give up her dinner. Here's how to get two dinners off of one meal swipe.
For better or worse, the Sodexo employees are pretty forgiving when it comes to second helpings on meals. Have your roommate give you her card, and get it swiped at the caf. Once you get past the register, find someone who is on their way out, and tell them that you forgot you had your roommate's card, and could they give it to her on their way back to their room (she'll be waiting by the entrance to the caf) so she can get into her dorm?
Now, just pick a table and wait. Your roommate will soon have her card back, and all she has to do is go through the line and tell the lady at the register that she had a late lunch. When they swipe her card, it will show that the current meal has already been used up, but the face and name on the card will match the person holding it; after all, it is her card. They will almost always let her in, and you two can now have a lovely dinner together.
One of the benefits of this two-for-the-price-of-one scheme is that the first person to enter the caf can be anyone, even someone who isn't a student at Chapman. As long as the person swiping the card the first time doesn't check if the face on the card matches the person holding the card, the first person to enter basically gets a free meal. And, after all, what better way of telling your significant other that you love them than treating them to a delicious and nutritious meal at the oh-so-romantic Chapman Cafeteria?
Let's say, hypothetically, that you are all out of meal swipes for the week, and you are hungry. Your roommate still has a meal swipe left, but she's hungry too and doesn't want to give up her dinner. Here's how to get two dinners off of one meal swipe.
For better or worse, the Sodexo employees are pretty forgiving when it comes to second helpings on meals. Have your roommate give you her card, and get it swiped at the caf. Once you get past the register, find someone who is on their way out, and tell them that you forgot you had your roommate's card, and could they give it to her on their way back to their room (she'll be waiting by the entrance to the caf) so she can get into her dorm?
Now, just pick a table and wait. Your roommate will soon have her card back, and all she has to do is go through the line and tell the lady at the register that she had a late lunch. When they swipe her card, it will show that the current meal has already been used up, but the face and name on the card will match the person holding it; after all, it is her card. They will almost always let her in, and you two can now have a lovely dinner together.
One of the benefits of this two-for-the-price-of-one scheme is that the first person to enter the caf can be anyone, even someone who isn't a student at Chapman. As long as the person swiping the card the first time doesn't check if the face on the card matches the person holding the card, the first person to enter basically gets a free meal. And, after all, what better way of telling your significant other that you love them than treating them to a delicious and nutritious meal at the oh-so-romantic Chapman Cafeteria?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Chapman Hacks is LIVE!
Hey, everybody!
Welcome to Chapman Hacks, the blog about *theoretical* ways of getting around some of Chapman's annoying systems, such as Patherbucks and locked dorm room doors.
DISCLAIMER: Chapman Hacks does not endorse any of the hacks found on this site. The instructions provided are for theoretical / academic purposes ONLY, and should you decide to follow any of the instructions posted here, Chapman Hacks and its authors can not be held responsible for any trouble you may find yourself in.
That being said, enjoy what we have to offer. If you have a hack you'd like to share, head on over to the Submit page, and let us know! If you would like to become a moderator, leave a message on THIS post with your email address, and I'll contact you to discuss it.
And, of course, comment on everything and happy hacking!
- Aladdin
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