MIT's main lecture hall is in building ten. It's also room 250. Therefore, by MIT standards, it is referred to as 10-250 (ten two-fifty). It's utilized for a bunch of classes (including many for freshmen) and is generally well-liked. I mean, it's a lecture hall, it's hard to love a lecture hall, but 10-250 is very put-up-with-able.
A little over a month ago an article came out in The Tech (MIT's newspaper) with the earth-shattering headline
10-250 Renovations to Begin During IAP
Reading through the article, I was quickly excited to hear that they were replacing the chairs! No offense to the 10-250 chairs, they're a nice purple shade but they just aren't that comfortable. A remodel of 10-250 means new and, hopefully, more comfortable chairs. I went into 10-250 yesterday to check on the remodeling progress, hoping to say goodbye one last time when I saw something very exciting and unexpected. Sitting in a row were five different types of chairs -- possible replacement chairs! I quickly did what any normal student would do and tested every single chair for comfort. Here's a quick breakdown:
Yellow Ugly Chair
The yellow ugly chair appears suitable. Unfortunately it's quite hard and not that comfortable. The desk is spacious, providing a lot of room for resting your arm and writing on paper, but this doesn't make up for the uncomfortable seat.
Red Squishy Chair 
The red chair is extremely comfy. The thick padded seat squishes under your weight, providing a posterior-friendly platform, while the back is just as squishy, allowing for a certain amount of lounging during lecture. The desk is a bit smaller than I would like but is the same size as the current desks so it's forgivable. All in all, a very good chair.
Black Awesome Chair
This black chair is the most radical departure from what 10-250 currently hosts. The chairs are hinged in such away that when you pull the seat down the back slides back, providing, at the very least, an entertaining 5 minutes prior to lecture. I anticipate seeing people open and close their seats for the shear enjoyment of it. Unfortunately, sitting in the seat is not as enjoyable because it is HARDER THAN GRANITE! This is very nearly made up for with the AWESOME AMAZING HUGE desk it sports. The desk is mounted to a pole that sits in front of the chair. It has enough writing room for even the pickiest of lecture hall test takers.
Grey Nondescript Chair
There's not a lot to say about this grey chair. Its desk is slightly larger than the current 10-250 desks but not significantly so. The large seat cushion looks comfortable but proves to be quite uncomfortable, forcing the attentive student in lecture to sit up quite high, as well as forward on their seats because of the hard chair back.
Wooden Holy Chair
Finally, the wooden holy chair. What it lacks in comfort (a lot) it kinda sorta makes up for in stylishness. The seams in the seat are complimented by the holes in the back but while it looks nice and professional it feels cold and uninviting. I'm sorry chair, I just don't like you.
I have no idea when they are deciding which chair to use, nor when they plan on installing the chairs. Call me pessimistic, but I have very little faith in the higher-ups to choose the correct chair so I made sure to let them know what the right decision was.
Oh, and also, I found the markings of a prefrosh on one of the boards. Somebody certainly was excited!
That's all for now, I'll let you know in the coming months which chairs they end up choosing. I know, it's very important and you're dying to know ; )
Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)
Posted by: 0 on January 10, 2008
I think snive you have a very good sense of humor, you make most out of every blog entry. Still the last one I read about the test case was the best till now. It's also good.
Posted by: Akshay on January 10, 2008
Posted by: derrick on January 10, 2008
Posted by: AwayfromHome on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Oasis on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Manders on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Karen on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 10, 2008
Posted by: 0 on January 10, 2008
26-100 = horribly uncomfortable
Posted by: Snively on January 10, 2008
Posted by: same anonymous on January 10, 2008
Posted by: las1 on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Star on January 10, 2008
-sam r.
Posted by: Samuel R. '12 on January 10, 2008
Posted by: sauza on January 10, 2008
Posted by: sara '11 on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Harrison on January 10, 2008
Posted by: 0 on January 10, 2008
they totally get my vote just for that ^-^, but roomy desks complete the package
Posted by: MiniPocketsized on January 10, 2008
Or maybe not.
Posted by: milena '11 on January 10, 2008
Posted by: EA parent on January 10, 2008
...not that a lack of left-handed desks was my biggest complaint about lectures during my undergraduate years or anything.
Posted by: Mollie on January 10, 2008
Posted by: 0 on January 10, 2008
Absolutely siblings are welcome! CPW is very casual about everything. It's essentially like a giant MIT open house with free food and awesomeness. Don't bother making other arrangements, he'll have a great time!
Posted by: Snively on January 10, 2008
Posted by: phreaker on January 10, 2008
Then again, I don't think 26-100 is uncomfortable. It's not comfortable either, it just....is.
Now the chairs in 6-120 are heavenly.
Posted by: Hank R. on January 10, 2008
You're left-handed, Mollie? I never knew you were so "sinister"... [/obscure Latin reference]
Posted by: Paul on January 10, 2008
Posted by: A parent on January 10, 2008
Can't the admin ask to customize the red chair so its desk is as big as that of the black one? =/
Posted by: Jing Jing on January 10, 2008
Posted by: DHowdy on January 10, 2008
... or do I?
And Paul, I only know that fact from the Simpsons. Does that make me pathetic?
Red all the way! Big comfy chairs in a NOT dull color.
Posted by: Piper on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Nihar on January 11, 2008
Absit Invidia Chris!
Posted by: anion on January 11, 2008
Posted by: anion on January 11, 2008
Posted by: Aditi on January 11, 2008
Posted by: Harnur on January 11, 2008
Posted by: EA parent on January 11, 2008
What, I never said my 12-day schedule was cool. I just noticed that my posts tend to fall on a 12-day schedule
Snively definitely publishes much more frequently than I do, though
Posted by: Oasis on January 11, 2008
I really like your use of stars as a rating system for the different chairs! I would definitely vote for the red chair. You gotta learn in comfort!
Posted by: HappilyNerdy88 on January 11, 2008
psh, any critic would know that such innovation entails a 1/2 star.
Posted by: 0 on January 11, 2008
Posted by: Hawkins on January 12, 2008
Awesome blog on the chairs. I am an interested party and represent one of the products (not the red one) in your review. I love your analysis and the fact that MIT is getting input from students and faculty.
I will suggest it is important evaluators spend time in the seat. Do not simply evaluate the chair based upon the initial sit. The seat that feels nice a soft at the start, while important, tends not to feel so comfortable after 30 minutes or so. The reason is that the seats that sit soft initially do not distribute weight and pressure away from the ischial tuberosities (sitting bones). So, after the initial comfort in the soft seat, the user tends to start shifting and squirming to increase circulation.
Therefore, I would recommend not discarding the harder seats too quickly.
Good luck in the evaluation!
Posted by: Nat on January 16, 2008
Although the black chairs are rather slick....
Posted by: April on January 18, 2008
i almays appreciate ur blogs. Seriously i dint mean to offend u....in hindsight, i guess i shud have written.." and WE thought chris posting ~every 12 days was awesome"
but again hindsight is 20/20!
i guess i jst wntd to comment on the fact that be it MIT or its bloggers..they never cease to amaze us!
Posted by: Anion on January 19, 2008
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