Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
The Media Pit in the basement of Tarble has undergone an overhaul. SCCS, the Pit’s operator, has installed a new system of security cameras and a security cabinet to protect the various video game systems and computers that reside there, including a Wii and a Xbox 360. Coupled with the increase in security comes an increase in convenience, as SCCS can now leave the Pit open during the day rather than keeping it locked up.
Andrew Stromme ’12, a member of SCCS who aided in the installation of the security system, explained that before the installation of the security system, patrons of the Pit were forced to make reservations with staff members who would in turn have to go get the key for the Pit, and then would have to lock it up afterward. This system resulted in low use of the Media Pit, and the systems and games were still at risk of theft.
With a new digital camera system in the Pit, SCCS can monitor its equipment without forcing a staff member to be present. The second large change is the new security cabinet, which Stromme described: “We have a similar cabinet to the ones used in classrooms for our video game systems. They are still usable but you can’t remove them. This also helps with clutter; the Pit is worlds cleaner than it used to be.”
The cleaner, more secure Pit is now accessible without contacting a staff member of SCCS for a reservation. When asked about these new developments, Jeffrey Kahn ’10, a junior who had used the Media Pit the previous night for a social event, replied: “How could that be bad?”
Stromme said that reservations were still encouraged, and that SCCS’ website, http://sccs.swarthmore.edu, would be soon updated with details on reservations and hours.