Rolling with Chair Changes
NEIRAD enilno edition
When students returned to the library this year, their butts did not feel the same: the popular rolly chairs had been replaced.
“We want the old chairs back,” says senior Charlie Eisner who has spent the last three years enjoying the movable chairs.
This year, the school made the decision to replace the old, lovable library chairs with clunky ones without wheels. Students were not happy. Even the most studious felt this change would impact study habits. “My productivity is a direct relationship with the rolliness of my chair, “senior Andrew Mauboussin said.
The chairs were extremely popular. The Herman Miller Caper chair had an appealing design in a sleek black finish. The contoured back was very forgiving on the back and the aerated seat and back made it breathable. Students didn’t heat up on the nicely ventilated furniture.
The newly placed chairs are quite dull. The backs and seats are flat and black. Most importantly, there are no wheels. “I hate the new chair,” senior Jake Greene said. Many students feel the same way.
The question on the minds of students is the origin of these new chairs. With the current budget crunch experienced throughout the district, many wondered whether this furniture was a necessary expenditure. Money turned out not to be an issue since they were repurposed items. “These chairs were brought here from the old auxiliary cafeteria, “new librarian Megan Sapeta said.
“The main reason the chairs were replaced was the backs of the chairs kept breaking,” Miss Sapeta said. Last year in the library, chairs with back fractures could be seen strewn around the library. The chairs are constructed of 100% recyclable glass-filled polypropylene, which is a synthetic thermoplastic polymer with high impact and fatigue resistance. This chair model boasts a 12-year warranty but clearly was not built to endure the brutish mishandling of Darien High School students. These cracks made the chairs uncomfortable and a little dangerous. “I almost threw out my back and ruined my football career,” senior Justin Coley said.
Another problem was the fact students treated the chairs like toys. But without the wheels, the bumper car effect has been significantly reduced. “That wasn’t the main reason but it’s an added bonus,” Miss Sapeta said. The old chairs were optimized for maximum movability. The steel frame and minimalist design allowed the chair to be moved freely, if not too freely. In addition, the librarians do not have to deal with scattered wheels.
Many students have also been wondering where the beloved rolly seats went. “The old chairs have been distributed to the computer labs around the school, “Miss Sapeta said, so upperclassmen can get a taste of nostalgia when visiting one of the many computer labs scattered throughout the building.
The librarians are aware students dislike this change. “I know students are not happy with the new chairs but in the end, it is not our decision,” Miss Sapeta said. The chairs were being thoroughly abused and will probably fare better in their new lab habitat.
Although the new chairs are bland, it has given the library a more orderly look. However, Miss Sapeta says there is one problem that has persisted even through change: “We still have to push the chairs in.”
