It’s no surprise Kent State makes a lot of deals and signs many contracts. Without them, how do you build new residence halls and commuter parking lots? But one contract has left many students screwed over.

At the end of last year, Dynasty Deconstruction was contracted by the university to tear down Terrace Hall and sell off pieces of furniture inside. Some students who purchased this furniture were told they could pick it up in the fall.

Terrace Hall is no longer standing, and the stuff that was inside is long gone. And those students who waited to pick up their goods are missing the furniture and their money.

The construction company responsible for the garage sale-like bargain told at least one student he would get his money back. But so far, it looks as if Dynasty packed up and hung students out to dry. This has left students pointing fingers and trying to get answers – and their money. So far, no one is stepping up to help the students.

Maybe the university is not directly to blame. But the thing is, the university hired the company to provide this service, so ultimately it should bite the bullet and refund students’ money.

Kent State should be looking out for the students – who are the university’s customers and prime source of income – and not be so cheap. The university makes these deals and should realize that protecting students should be the top priority.

The university is in the position to make this right. Kent State could easily give students their money back and this whole mess would be fixed. Plus, we shouldn’t forget the university got half the money from the sale in the first place.

Like many of the students who purchased items they never received have said, there is only one way to describe this whole situation: Shady. Most college students are poor and enjoy a good bargain. That’s why they buy 30-packs of Keystone Light, and that’s why they pay $30 for a used dresser. Now that money and the furniture are gone. And so is the man who took them.

This is all a matter of just hundreds of dollars – a pittance to a university with a multi-million dollar budget. But that money isn’t chump change for students just scraping by.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board. Kate Bigam did not participate in the discussion of this editorial.