Amanda Gabriela Beltran
Staff Writer
In honor of Brian Tresner’s imminent retirement, faculty and students gathered for his last lecture Tuesday in the President’s dining room.
Tresner, who has worked for the Office of Information Technology for 25 years, began his lecture by talking about how cheap it used to be to buy computer parts and assemble them.
Tresner explained how he and his colleagues became certified designer installers for fiber optics, or bundles of transparent fibers that transmit light, in order to bring fiber processing to La Verne.
“We bought it directly from the company (and) installed it ourselves,” he said. “I rented nitrogen gas to blow it, and with some of my students, we installed it,” Tresner said.
One time Tresner said he got help from the women’s volleyball team to help to bring the fiber optics into the Athletic Pavilion.
“I said ‘they work out every day, can they come over here and I’ll give them a workout right here,’” Tresner said.
Professor of Kinesiology and Clinical Coordinator Paul Alvarez recalled how Tresner asked the women’s soccer team to help install fiber optics in Founders Hall.
“I remember you had the (women’s) soccer team in Founders, pulling the tubes and wires,” Alvarez said.
Tresner said he makes all of his students learn and deal with fiber optics because it is a great talking point in interviews.
“It’s something cool to put in their resume,” Tresner said.
He said he did not make his students deal with fiber optics because they needed to, but because it would be helpful for them to stand out in job interviews.
Many of the faculty in the room thanked Tresner for all of his help with technological problems.
Associate Professor of Theater Alma Martinez said Tresner has been patient with her whenever she calls OIT.
“I just want to thank you, you have been absolutely tremendous, so patient with all of my ridiculous questions,” Martinez said. “You were never impatient and just so kind and knowledgeable.”
Amanda Gabriela Beltran can be reached at amanda.beltran@laverne.edu.
Amanda Gabriela Beltran
