This is a real life example of what we read for this week.

Today, a couple of us decided that the lobby in the octagon was not conducive to learning; ie, it is hard for groups to work together when the tables are along the wall.

We talked with 2 professors and they agreed that the lobby was in need of some rearranging and even some decorating. For being in the Ed building it is very plain.

Anyway, we moved the furniture off to the side and put the tables together in groups of two in a square formation so that groups could work together. Kinda of like in the library. Well, this guy came out of the media room across the hall and demanded to know what we were doing and why. We explained it to him and he was upset. He then called one of the professors that we had talked to and then he came back and told us to put it back immediately!

He said he was acting as the "facility coordinator" and we were "not allowed to do that."

My point is what the heck? How does this disrupt his day in any way? He doesn't even use the lobby like we do. Why does it matter to him what we do? Isn't this our lobby to move around so that it is best suited for our needs? I guess not.

Anyway, just thought it was interestiing how we read that article about breaking "rules" this week and then this happened.

People do not like RULE BREAKERS!

Facility coordinator? I wonder if Nazi guards called themselves "facility coordinators."
Not to diminish the tragedy in Germany, of course, but people will take any position of authority and abuse for no apparent reason or even benefit to themselves.
I very much doubt that this fellow has a sheet of rules that includes "no moving the furniture." I hate consequences for breaking imaginary rules.
I wish I had been there. There would have been major civil disobedience.

Shannon, he was "power trippin"....some ppl don't know what to do with the little authority they are given. Oh well, he made himself look ignorant. I hope he reads our posts about him and realizes he has made himself a great example for us new teachers to NOT FOLLOW. I am sorry you all got fussed at for trying to make our little area better.

Haha! Facility Coordinator?? Reading this makes me want to move every piece of furniture in Edwin Duncan.

You said it, Shannon. The lobby in the octogon is for the students, not the guy from the media lab. I don't see what the big deal was, it's not like you were trying to start a fire. That guy was just being a jerk for nothing.

Seriusly that guy was ignorant. I agree that he was on a power trip and since he came out making such a big deal about you guys moving the furniture, he had to make himself known and make you all move it back..That was rediculous. We are not children and dont deserve to get yelled at for moving a few things. i would have given him a piece of my mind! ha..

too bad i wasnt there we would have had a problem haha i cant believe somebody would say some crap like that! That's rediculous somebody must have peed in his cornflakes earlier that morning and just decided to take it out on you guys. That is your room to work in, if i were you i would wate until later in the afternoon when not that many people are in the building and re-arrange everything haha

That is interesting to hear about college students being harassed about moving furniture to better suite their needs for the time being. However, we also need to look at why this "facility coordinator" was so upset over tables being moved. It could be that this person simply did not like change or people who would feel that they can move furniture around to make work more convenient for them, or there may have been some serious reasons for his reaction. I do know that there are fire codes which regulate where furniture can be placed inside public buildings so as not to be in the way in case people need to exit the building. He also may have been concerned about furniture all over the building being moved about and creating clutter and chaos. I will use my own job experience which once again has to do with teaching ski lessons. We have a rule at Sugar Mountain that no foot traffic is allowed on the slopes yet often times people will want to walk out onto the ski slope to take pictures of their children; which at first that appears to be harmless. However, if we allowed everybody to walk out onto the slopes with skiers, we end up with a very crowded slope and nowhere to ski. This can result in collisions between people and skiers, as well as people simply going home early because they do not have room to ski. A second reason is also because people walking will punch holes in the snow with their shoes because they do not have the weight distribution that skies provide. The result is a ski slope with lots of holes in it, making it very difficult/unpleasant to ski on. And finally one of the biggest reason is that someone walking out onto the ski slope without a proper lift ticket is actually trespassing onto the slope. The back of a lift ticket has a waiver that "the wearer of the ticket" consents to. Someone walking out onto the slope without the lift ticket could potentially be injured and try to sue Sugar Mountain for damages unless we posted signs that said people without tickets are trespassing.
So, basically what I am getting at, is that maybe this facility coordinator was not trying to rain on your parade because he was grumpy and does not like change, but it is possible that there are rules that he has to make sure people abide by so as to not fined by fire code violations or have himself be in trouble with his superiors.

You're probably right, but no matter how many reasons he had for not wanting the furniture moved, he should have been professional enough to hold back his anger and give an explanation as to why the students shouldn't have moved the furniture.

What ever came of this? Did you end up saying anything to the professor after? I say we just move the furniture before class. As i stated before, the teacher seemed like he was on a power trip. Unbelievable!

i don't think the guy was even a teacher. he works in the media lab. he told us that they have to be able to get carts through the doors to the elevator and that we were blocking that. that is UNTRUE! the couch sitting against the wall took up no more space than the table and chairs. we checked to make sure because we thought of the fire code too. when we tried to show him this he said too bad and put it back now!

we told dr. turner and she said that we should pursue this and that she would help us. i don't know, i just don't want to do it by myself. anyone have any ideas?

i figure i only have one more year, and i'll be student teaching, and hardly on campus at all, plus getting the new education building soon, so i just don't know if it's that important. it's just the idea behind it i guess.