As the President of the Undergraduates, I was quite distressed to hear of the recent thefts involving the furniture in the newly renovated Wedge area. This directly challenges the integrity of our student body. I had believed that we had a student body that held the ideals of a community to the highest. I came to WPI because I believed we had a community that fostered an environment of mutual respect and integrity. When another student takes furniture, they are not taking something from just the administration, but from all of us. There were many people involved in the Wedge renovation, including students. We are all affected by this.
As a member of the campus center committee, I look forward to the day when we have a campus center on campus. How can I go to meetings now and tell the administration that students will respect the center and its contents? I think that this is a challenge for us. If we can show ourselves and the administration that we all respect ourselves and our property than people will go to bat for us when the time comes to ask for money and resources.
I do not want this letter to come across as though everyone on this campus has lost their integrity, but there are a few. Unfortunately, those few have lost a lot for all of us. Let's make this into a positive change for this campus. A community atmosphere needs to surface to the top. We will all benefit if this happens.
Respectfully,
Cathleen A. Connelly , SGA President
Upon returning to campus for winter break many of us were surprised and pleased to see that during the vacation the WPI Plant Service staff was busy renovating the upper and lower Wedge to provide a welcoming and comfortable location for students, staff, and faculty to relax and dine. After removing the old carpeting and fixed, uncomfortable benches that were in the Wedge, the college spent over $100,000 outfitting the facility with attractive couches and chairs as well as new tables for dining. Many of us who were here during break monitored the project on a daily basis, watching it's transformation from a drab, worn-out, uncomfortable facility to one of the few common lounging areas on the campus. We were proud to have students return to see an example of how the college cares about the needs of the campus community.
Imagine the frustration when within 24 hours of the return of students to campus two couches worth $1,600 were stolen overnight. The following evening two tables were taken as well. On the third evening an additional couch and four more tables were stolen. At this rate we should all expect that the Wedge will be completely empty by late C term.
While we do not know who stole the furniture or even if it was a WPI student, (I would like to believe it was not a student), we have to believe that someone on campus knows where it is. Everyone of us has the right to tell those who stole the furniture that it is unacceptable that the rest of the community is denied its right to enjoy these new furnishings because someone selfishly has decided that they have an exclusive right to use the new furniture.
As the chair of the Campus Center Planning Committee, I, and many of your student and faculty peers, have spent many long hours surveying the campus community about what facilities our new campus center should include. There has been unanimous support for informal lounges where community members can go to relax and visit with their peers. Comfortable couches and tables have been recommended as furnishings. In light of the Wedge situation, I can't help but wonder if it makes sense to invest college funds in similar lounges.
I have always admired how responsible and conscientious the members of the WPI community are. We are indeed fortunate to have a community of scholars. I would like to empower each and every one of you to stand up for your rights to enjoy the newly renovated Wedge. Your tuition dollars paid for the renovation. If you have any knowledge about where the furniture has gone apply peer pressure to ensure its return. There are clearly more people who believe that the taking of the furniture is wrong. Let us use our influence to deliver a message to those who removed the furniture that it is unacceptable and that it won't be tolerated.
My thanks to Plant Services for a job well done!
Janet Begin Richardson
Assistant Vice President forStudent Affairs and Dean of Student Life
Give feedback: newspeak@wpi.wpi.edu