Furniture
finds new home in union
By Adrienne Figueroa
On-line
Forty-Niner
 Sophomore
mechanical engineering major Jose Martinez
sat halfway slumped-down in a chair in the
University Student Union’s television lounge
area, watching an episode of “Moesha.” With
his legs stretched out in front of him and
his hands resting on his chest, Martinez
was not able to adopt such a relaxed pose
in the same room just a few months ago,
before the new furniture was moved in.
With
some items almost two decades old, he said
the old chairs were just not comfortable
anymore.
“The
old furniture was falling apart already,”
Martinez said. “They were antiques already.”
The
comfort factor was not the only reason why
the USU decided to discard and replace most
of the furniture this summer. Some tables
and chairs had aged as much as 17 years
and were considered unsafe, said University
Student Union Director Eugene Minter.
“[The
furniture] was pretty much shot,” he said.
After
reviewing a repair list that detailed the
replacement of the worn furniture, the USU
Board of Directors last year approved the
purchase of new items, Minter said. The
board’s decision also included a plan to
destroy unsafe furniture and relocate some
of the old furniture that could still be
used in the USU, he added.
Normally,
the union is allotted $94,000 per year for
repair and replacement purposes. This year,
however, the expense for the new furniture
exceeded this amount, totaling $161,000,
Minter said.
The
reason for the difference is accumulated
money that had not previously been used,
resulting in a surplus, Minter said.
Several
things were taken into account in choosing
the type of furniture the student union
would don for coming years. Finding fire-retardant
and water-resistant materials were imperative,
and the durability, maintenance and aesthetic
look of the fabric was considered as well,
Minter said. Another concern was fitting
the furniture with the theme and color scheme
of the student union, he added.
In
May, approximately 224 pieces of furniture
were delivered, including multiple lounge
chairs, stool chairs, café tables
and high tables, Minter said.
The
new additions to the student union have
received positive feedback from students,
he said.
“The
response has been pretty good, overall,”
Minter said.
However,
in some cases, the new furniture has gone
unrecognized.
“I
didn’t really notice the new furniture,”
said senior recreation major Kelly Booth
while sitting in the student union patio
area.
Martinez,
on the other hand, said he noticed the furniture
within the first month of its arrival.
Although
he found the new furnishings much cozier
than the older ones, only the addition of
beanbags could make the television lounge
a more comfortable place to hang out, he
said.
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