Suggestions on how to save our furniture

I thought the furniture might have been bolted to the floor, or maybe the chairs and tables might somehow be linked together. I realized I was wrong when I saw the Wedge totally rearranged later that night. Quite frankly, the logic escaped me: Why would one place movable furniture downstairs from two residence halls? I was going to call someone the next day (I wasn't sure whom to call - Plant Services? Residential Life?) about my concerns, but of course many other people on campus were thinking the same thing.

I lived in Morgan my freshman year. I know that if the Wedge had been renovated when I was a freshman, there would definitely be people on the floor who would take the furniture. It's simply the mentality of some (not all!) students. As much as I hate to say it, not everyone can be trusted. Even before the Wedge was renovated, it wasn't uncommon for chairs to be taken from the Lower Wedge and placed in student rooms. It's not just Morganites who think this way. I know some upperclass students from Fuller and Ellsworth who have also seriously considered taking some of the new furniture (to my knowledge, they haven't actually taken it).

We know this is happening. Unfortunately, our disgust at those who are stealing the furniture feels good, but gets us no closer to coming up with a solution. The college spent $100,000 on the furniture. What could be done to prevent its theft?

Here are some suggestions, compiled from ideas from various Newspeak members. Keep in mind that the renovations cost $100,000, so if some of these suggestions seem pricey, remember that it's for the protection of expensive renovations.

Place video cameras in the Wedge. This would deter theives, although if you see people stealing furniture on video, you wouldn't know who they are. Still, it might act as a strong deterrant. If there's a theft, someone could look at the videotape.

Place security tags on the furniture. You know those tags you see on sweaters that prevent you from stealing them from the store? Couldn't we place those on the furniture? This would also require detectors at all of the exits. Think of the horror as someone in the process of stealing furniture is thwarted by the piercing sound of a theif alarm!

Nix the modular furniture idea. I know no one really likes this idea. In fact, modular furniture is a good idea if stealing didn't exist. However, stealing exists. I'd rather have non-modular furniture than no furniture.

Make the furniture too heavy or too large to move up and down stairs. This doesn't mean that the furniture couldn't be moved at all. You can push a car, for example, but you can't lift it. Could the furniture somehow be made heavier?

Those are probably the most practical ideas, although I wouldn't doubt that others have their own suggestions, as well. If you have any ideas on what can be done to keep the furniture in the Wedge, please send them to Newspeak before Friday at 5:00 and we'll print some of the best ones next week.

We can't even keep what's bolted to our walls