On January 15, 2008, during the early hours of the morning, the high definition television was stolen from the front half of the Maura Hall “Commuter” Lounge at Seton Hill University (SHU). The television had not even been there for a year when it was taken over winter break.
A reward of $200 is currently being offered to anyone who has any information that leads to finding out who took the television. The television was chained to the table, but Chief of Campus Police Michael Dell said that the thieves, “broke the base of the TV to take it.”
By Andrea Perkins,
Senior Staff Writer
On January 15, 2008, during the early hours of the morning, the high definition television was stolen from the front half of the Maura Hall “Commuter” Lounge at Seton Hill University (SHU). The television had not even been there for a year when it was taken over winter break.
A reward of $200 is currently being offered to anyone who has any information that leads to finding out who took the television. The television was chained to the table, but Chief of Campus Police Michael Dell said that the thieves, “broke the base of the TV to take it.”
The Activities office uses the Maura Lounge for many student programs, so the loss of the TV was not received well.
“We were as an office, upset and just aggravated that we put this money out there and it’s stolen or destroyed,” said Tom Donovan, a graduate assistant for the Office of Activities and Commuter Life.
“It was taken late at night, so there was no one in the office at the time to be a watchful eye,” said Donovan.
Junior Alex Stone, who was on campus for J-Term said that the theft was unfortunate.
“They abused the opportunity they had to have the hours open. A lot of people use that space in between classes for recreation,” said Stone, who also noted that the lounge was locked at night during break.
“We do have limited hours in the lounge during breaks,” Donovan said.
The Maura Lounge was refurnished two years ago with money from the Activities budget, which was given to them by the university. Buying a new television would come out of that same budget. The Activities office is in the process of getting a new TV, and possibly security cameras, according to Donovan.
“The TV will be wall mounted, instead of being on the table,” he said.
Dell also thought that the student body should get a new television to replace the stolen one.
“Why should everyone be punished?” Dell said.
“A lot of people can enter the building without actually going here – a person, not a Seton Hill student – could have taken it,” said Stone, who pointed out that there are many ways to get into Main Complex without actually being a SHU student.
The Campus Police are following a few leads, but those leads and the posted reward are all they are doing to close the stolen television issue, according to Dell.
“It may not even be an issue of the lounge being open – we just need to make sure things are locked at night,” said Stone.
Elizabeth Rettger photo
