Students coming back to campus this semester may have been surprised to find brightly lit Samsung charging stations in the Sharpe Refectory, the Gate and the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center.
Samsung approached Brown with the idea, and the University agreed to host the consoles for two years, said Richard Bova, senior associate dean of residential life and dining services. Brown is receiving about $4,500 a year for the deal, which is going toward student programming, Bova wrote in an e-mail to The Herald.
"All money that comes in because of the Samsung logo will be going to the student programs budget," Bova said. "They were installed at no cost to us."
Samsung is already hosting similar stations in 27 other universities across the nation, according to Bova.
"Dining Services was approached in the fall, and told that the Gate and the Ratty were selected as installation sites for these charging stations," said Ann Hoffman, director of administration for Brown Dining Services. "We are pleased to be able to host the units."
Students, however, were not ecstatic about the stations.
"I think that they are ugly," Shannon Parker '12 said. But she said she realized they might be helpful for others who may need them for their electronics. "I see people doing work in the Ratty all the time."
William Schweitzer '12 agreed. "They are useful for people who like this environment to work," he said. "But I think it's kind of shameless promoting for Samsung — like a brand infiltrating the Ratty. I don't like that."
