Signs go up but webcam feeds go down

Signs notifying students that the Campus Recreation center is video-monitored by four webcams were posted throughout the facility this weekend, but the feeds that broadcast the live video of activity inside the Campus Recreation building were offline Sunday. But it’s unclear why.

ORACLE PHOTO/JOSE LOPEZ JR.

Director of Marketing and Public Affairs for Student Government, Kayla Munro, said she didn’t know if the feeds were removed deliberately or if the Web site was having technical difficulties.

Numerous signs with the message “NOTICE: Weight Room & Gymnasium Activities Monitored By Video Camera” have been put up throughout the Campus Recreation building. The signs don’t disclose that the video can be seen on the Internet.

It’s unclear exactly when this weekend the signs were posted. Representatives from USF or the Recreation Center could not be reached for comment.

Many students said last week that they were unaware of the cameras’ existence. Neither SG nor Campus Recreation had advertised or otherwise notified students about the cameras, which have been streaming live video to the Internet since February.

Munro said that since the cameras are inside the Campus Recreation building, SG doesn’t necessarily have to be notified if they are taken down, even though the video feeds can only be seen on SG’s Web site, sg.usf.edu.

“(The cameras) are like any other piece of equipment in the gym,” Munro said. “They can do with them what they want.”

The live webcam feed of the new student center construction site – which is also found on SG’s Web site – was working on Sunday.

Using Activity and Service fees, SG paid $8,690 for the cameras. Campus Recreation paid $10,063.

SG’s goal was to webcast the video so students could see how crowded the gym was before possibly wasting a trip.