By Ashlyn Kelly
The Xbox One, controllers, and games were stolen from the Game Room sometime during the day Sept. 19, according to Sara Gallegos, director of Student Involvement and Leadership Development (SILD).
The Game Room had been switched to 24/7 access by using a keycard to get in, the keycard access had not been working since the summer, said Gallegos.
She said in order to allow students to use the space, the door had to be kept unlocked.
Gallegos said a report has been filed with the Framingham State University Police Department (FSUPD) and they will determine how to proceed.
“It’s out of our hands now,” she said.
She said SILD was able to narrow down the time frame because a student said the Xbox was there in the morning and gone when they came back later that day.
In an email, Sergeant Martin Laughlin said FSUPD is “actively looking into the matter” and cannot comment further because it is an ongoing investigation.
SILD is “debating” if it will be purchasing a new Xbox, said Gallegos.
If they do, new security measures will be put into place, such as bolting the Xbox to the wall, she said.
“I expect things to walk away from there,” said Gallegos. “It’s not like I want things to walk away from there, but I understand.
“For the most part, I like the Game Room to be a space for students that they kind of take pride in and maintain,” said Gallegos. “It’s their space, so I want them to make sure that they have the stuY to use in this space, so I’m putting the ownership on them.”
Mark Haskell, a junior international business major, said he was in the Game Room Friday afternoon between noon and 12:30 p.m. playing pool with someone else when the Xbox was stolen.
“An older looking man, with dark hair and a dark beard, came in with a garbage bag and started placing games and the console into said bag,” said Haskell. “The other person and I were very confused as we thought the fellow who came in worked with the University.”
Haskell said he wishes for “the console to be returned to the Game Room.”
Jacob Sargent, a junior biochemistry major, said he is now concerned about leaving his belongings in the room unguarded.
“Frankly, I’m surprised it wasn’t stolen earlier,” he added. “The fact that they have cameras in that room but don’t have them functional is willful mismanagement and frankly embarrassing.”
Nicole Viera, a senior English major, said, “It’s really shocking that someone could just go in and take it like that.
“I’m actually kind of surprised there isn’t any attendant or security in the game room to prevent stuff like this from happening, or at least report it,” she added.
Tadiwa Chitongo, a junior biochemistry major, said, “I feel like this wouldn’t have happened if they had put some sort of casing around the Xbox, or at the very least had someone there to do check ups throughout the day or ... have cameras on at all times.”
Eddy Olu, a senior computer science major, said he is “not shocked” the Xbox was stolen because “McCarthy is open 24/7 and open to anyone.
“There used to be a desk attendant to watch over everything and make sure things were in order,” said Olu. “But now that they got rid of that position, it makes everything in that Game Room a lot harder to manage.”
He added that previous students had donated equipment like the Gamecube “and the fact that could be stolen without warning like the Xbox was is concerning.”
During the interview conducted Sept. 28, Gallegos said the only reason she would shut down the Game Room was if she continued getting complaints through FSUPD of students not wearing masks while in the Game Room.
It was announced in an email Sept. 29 that the Game Room would be shut down until Oct. 7 due to the lack of mask compliance.