Published: May 25, 2026
Over the weekend, I had to go on Fendall Campus to retape a video segment for a UL promotional video. The first thing that caught my eye as I walked around UL’s iconic clock tower, as well as the football field and the surrounding classrooms, was the array of classroom armchairs scattered all about. There were probably a hundred, all told. Last night, there was a hard rain, lightning, and wind, and this morning the chairs were all wet. I thought about all the students who have clamored for chairs, all the protests held in their name, all the fundraisers undertaken in their name, and all the donations of chairs that UL has received during my presidency. And yet, here were all of these armchairs in the yard, wasting away as nobody cares.
I thought to myself, how can the very people who say they want armchairs but don’t have enough leave the precious armchairs we have out in the elements to degrade and decompose? And how can they leave them baldly vulnerable to theft? These are armchairs donated by people and organizations who heard the plea of UL students, who gave of themselves and their own precious resources to provide them to UL, and yet, this scattering of armchairs all about campus showed a callous disregard for their worth and for the efforts of those who provided them. I found myself scratching my head.
Students, are you the ones who put the armchairs in the yard? Why?? Are you the ones who didn’t carry the armchairs back inside? Again, why?? Are you the ones getting the last laugh as those of us who care about you, your education, our school, and your future work night and day to keep a steady stream of armchairs coming? Because if this is the case, we are going to have to try a different strategy. And, of course, if it wasn’t you, let’s uncover who it was and hold them accountable. This kind of waste is simply unacceptable – and you know your conscience agrees.
What’s the solution? Show that you care. Show that you value UL’s precious resources. They may be unsatisfyingly meager now, but they will only grow if we show that we value and take care of what we have. We are building on momentum. You have a responsibility to help take care of our campus – your campus – Liberia’s campus. So, let’s keep the chairs inside. Let’s keep them neat inside our classrooms. Let’s use them for their intended purpose – classroom education – and find other solutions for outdoor seating needs. Let’s turn the tables (pun intended) and show our humble classroom armchairs that we care!
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