The Collegian

Issue date: 3/13/08 Section: News

Vandals damaged gaming equipment in the basement of Simpson Residence March 2, flipping a pingpong table, breaking a chair and severely damaging a recently refurbished pool table.

The antique cherry wood on the pool table is now cracked and chipped.
Small dents scar the top edge of the table, and small and bumps are visible through the red felt.

Sophomore Matt Ketron, a Simpson resident, said he plays on the table two or three times a week, and that the damages are more than cosmetic.

"There's a crack running down one side of the table, about a quarter of the length from the end," Ketron said. "You can see the rise in the felt, and the ball kind of jumps up when it rolls over."

Director of Campus Security Mike Wertz said he is investigating the vandalism.
"We have some suspects, but it might be a few days yet," Wertz said.

He said the destruction might be connected with other acts of vandalism that weekend, including the theft of a red-tailed hawk from Strosacker Science Center. A student returned the hawk two weeks ago.

The damage to the pool table especially disappointed junior Gavin Phelps, who restored the table last year. Phelps is currently studying abroad in Italy.

Phelps said he and junior Ben Nygaard raised money to refinish the wood and felt on the table.

"I spent two weeks of my own free time dismantling the table, stripping off the old finish and then applying the new cherry wood color and paint to the table," Phelps said.

Phelps said the man he hired to install the new felt told him that the restoration had tripled the pool table's value.

"These guys should man up and come forward," Wertz said. "It's just stupid - your tuition money pays for this stuff."

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