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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Exactly. Well-said. Those are the =
kinds of
questions that need to be answered before lynching the guy. (Semi) =
Innocent until proven guilty and all that.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>JO</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=dabell58@earthlink.net =
href="mailto:dabell58@earthlink.net">Dorothy
Bell</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=caut@ptg.org
href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">College and University Technicians</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, September 05, =
2005 10:55
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [CAUT] piano in =
pit</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>
<DIV><FONT size=2> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid">
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Dear Cauts:</DIV>
<DIV>What would you do if you were the department head?</DIV>
<DIV>Ed S.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Having worked as the administrator in a science =
department,
where accidents/errors/safety problems were always occurring, I was =
wondering
about some questions of fact:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT =
size=2> How was it
known that this student was the one responsible? Was he found aghast =
(or not)
at the site, did he run and tell someone immediately, did he leave the =
scene
and was identified only by having left his cellphone behind, and so =
on? Each
different scenario shows a different degree of willingness to take
responsibility --</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT =
size=2> What switch
did he push to lower the pit floor? Was it secured in any way? How
distinguishable was it from other switches in the area? Did he take =
his action
in darkness or with lights on?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT =
size=2> Was the
piano customarily left partly on the pit floor and partly on the stage =
floor? Were there any safeguards against that =
happening?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT =
size=2> Were there
any signs or rules against students playing this particular piano? Was =
the
piano locked? Was the hall locked?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I guess I have two extreme scenarios in my head: =
thoughtless
kid behaving with absolute entitlement, prying open the locks to the =
hall, the
piano, and the labelled pit-floor switch in order to play on the piano =
-- or
kid new to the campus, a little disoriented, wanting to play a really =
good
piano, trying to find the light switch, horror-struck as the thing =
begins to
tilt , shouting for help, pulling desperately on the left cheek block =
as the
piano slides into the pit --</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>So if I were the department head I would want more information =
before
making a decision. And at least he didn't catch a lab on fire, and =
there was
no death.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Dorrie Bell</DIV>
<DIV>Boston, MA</DIV>
<DIV><FONT =
size=2> </DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>