Tired, blood-shot eyes scan the computer screen. Server connections fail and design ideas fly feverishly around in the web master’s head. Late nights and gallons of coffee have opened a new chapter in the life of one campus senior.

“Greg Stobbe, David Martens and Mr. (Principal Gary) Schultz asked me if I was interested in recreating the old Feather website,” Doug Den Hartog, ’05, said. “It is a big project.”

When the question of who would take on this task was considered, the answer was obvious to Principal Schultz.

“We chose Doug to do this because he’s an advanced computer student,” Schultz said. “He’s taken almost every class offered here at the school and he needs a new challenge.”

Martens, the campus technology director, has also placed his faith in Den Hartog to start this large project.

“Doug is a natural at web design,” Martens said. “He has the desire to go even further with his talents, so it seemed logical to assign him to this project.”

With the early remnants of the online Feather in random “piles”, someone was needed to sort out and restore the legacy of the newspapers’ online past. This modern day quest is no easy problem to solve.

“The old Feather online is based on technology that is several years old,” Martens said. “The redesign we are working on now uses Internet protocol that are standards in the computer industry. The database and language we are using is used throughout the world.”

Den Hartog agrees that the problem is something to be addressed immediately.

“The technology used is only a few years old, but in the computer world; it’s like using ancient tools,” Den Hartog said. “The new website and server need to be fast and modern.”

Despite the looming issues, Den Hartog is determined to complete his task.

“My goal is to create a website I, and this school, is proud of,” Den Hartog said. “I want it to be a legitimate project I can put in a portfolio for future clients.”

The computer boots up, the mouse clicks randomly and the motherboard hums as these two brilliant computer minds tackle the mission.

“Our goals are to bring The Feather up to industry standards,” Martens said. “We also want to make The Feather online more accessible to the community and to save it for the future.”

The outlook is bright and hopeful and Principal Schultz is eager to see the finished project.

“He’s very capable of doing this job and I looking forward to seeing the finished results,” Schultz said.

For more information on this project, contact Martens at [email protected] or visit the school’s website at www.fresnochristian.com.