The Stools, the Chairs, and the Change
Every day, the Student Commons bustles with numerous students as it is a favorite spot for socializing, relaxing, and working. Recently, it has changed. Over winter break, Patrick Fenderson, Director of Facilities, removed the wheeled dark gray stools that furnished the space’s tables, replacing them with an alternative: tennis ball chairs.
According to General Studies Principal Joel Rojek, the unique wheeled stools have been at AJA since the High School moved to the AJA campus in 2016. At the time, they were chosen because “they look nice” and can easily disappear beneath the tables in the Student Commons.
Their replacements are tennis ball chairs. At first glance, these chairs are the standard chairs employed in other classrooms around the school. However, upon closer inspection, they have tennis balls on the bottom of each chair leg to protect the flooring. The chairs and tennis balls are blue, a color Mr. Fenderson thought would suit the Student Commons, emphasizing that matching colors “can be a fashion trend.”
That wasn’t his only reason for switching them though. Mr. Fenderson explained that he had come to recognize the wheeled stools as a hazard to both the students and the flooring. According to Mr. Rojek, students not only regarded the stools as bumper cars, frequently using them to ram into each other, but they also consequently “started to mark and scuff the floor,” with all the movement of the wheeled stools.
Mr. Fenderson had noticed this misuse of the stools since becoming Director of Facilities in October, and decided “to develop a plan to get [them] switched out” over winter break. As planned, the wheeled stools were switched out for the tennis ball chairs.
Almost no one was notified of this change. Even Mr. Rojek was unaware, explaining that “[he] didn’t know that change was happening.” Once the change was made, many students noticed it and were not fans but still took it in stride. Junior Dassie Chasen preferred the wheeled stools but confessed that “it doesn’t really bother [her].” Many students expressed sadness at the loss of the wheeled stools, believing they matched the space more than the tennis ball chairs.
One of the few students who were very put out by this was Senior Moshe Eidex. He listed reasons such as the ease with which the wheeled stools can be moved and their superiority when it comes to being a foot rest as well as a chair. Freshman Amitai Sadinoff added that a wheeled stool also “provides a good source of entertainment.”
Regardless of which piece of furniture is preferred by the students, the wheeled stools were removed by Mr. Fenderson because, at the end of the day, the safety of the students and the flooring takes precedence over their comfort and amusement. In spite of their arguments against the new pieces of furniture, most students admitted that the change in furniture has not affected how much time they spend in the Student Commons. As sophomore Ben Smolensky put it, “I’m not there for the chairs. I’m there for the space.”
“Mr. Fenderson explained that he had come to recognize the wheeled stools as a hazard to both the students and the flooring.”
Comments are closed.