When students returned from winter break, many of the old couches and chairs scattered through the Main Building had been replaced by new furniture relocated from the FFC.

The old couches and table with Seniors’ last names had been removed from Senior quad, to be replaced with longer blue couches. Similar couches replaced the old furniture in the seating areas outside the history and languages hallways and post office. Tall tables and chairs appeared outside the Music Wing and replaced the couches in the science building lobby.

The Record sent a survey to students and faculty; 38 people answered questions about the new furniture.

They reported an overall negative reaction to the new additions, with 83% of respondents reporting they like the furniture less, and 65% saying they will use it less than the old furniture.

Many students and faculty members objected to the aesthetics of the new furniture, describing it as “sterile and weird,” “depressing,” and like a “medical office waiting room” or “the lobby of a nursing home.”

The practicality of the furniture was also challenged. Some stated the chairs are “too stiff to be inviting and functional” and “not as comfortable” as the older furniture.

Many students report using it reluctantly. Some noted they use it “only because [they] want to sit somewhere” and “out of habit.”