ASMSU has recovered most of the stolen equipment swiped during a Labor Day weekend burglary.
Among the items recovered from the break-in of the university’s undergraduate student government offices were two computer monitors, three RAM chips, a computer tower, a hard drive and a video card. Two other RAM chips, both belonging to the campus yearbook, Red Cedar Log, are still missing.
An investigation by MSU police is underway.
“I have been kept in the dark,” said Kendall Sykes, ASMSU Student Assembly chairperson.
“(But) I think it is because (MSU police) are in the middle of an investigation.”
One fear was put to rest by police though. It was originally thought the theft could have been performed by an ASMSU member - that scenario has since been dismissed, Sykes said.
“They said it wasn’t anyone from ASMSU,” he said.
Now, ASMSU officials are working on reinstalling the computer equipment,which is in good condition.
“We reinstalled a lot of the equipment and it works fine,” said Julie Wimberley, director of ASMSU’s Web site. “For the most part, the parts remained intact.”
Even though the equipment has been recovered and basically repaired, ASMSU officials are left to guess why the items were taken.
“I think it was for information,” Sykes said.
The equipment stolen from the Red Cedar Log, which was valued at $2,215.57, was purchased again by the yearbook staff and reimbursed by funds from ASMSU’s investment account.
Shortly after the break-in of ASMSU’s Student Services Building offices, the Residence Halls Association also suffered from thievery. Several videos from the RHA collection were stolen.
While ASMSU tries to remain as secure as possible from theft, it is still seeking an insurance policy that would cover burglary and fire.
The student government’s current form of insurance is the $700,000 investment account funded by yearly surplus from a refundable $13 tax paid by all university undergraduates.
The break-in was the third in the last year for the undergraduate student government.
The previous theft occurred earlier this year when ASMSU’s business office was broken into. During the vandalism, free photocopies were made, furniture was broken and computer speakers were stolen.
