A high-tech, $219,000 conference table purchased by Kean University raised eyebrows on the school's campus, where some students questioned whether the expense was warranted.
The 22-foot oak table was specially manufactured by a company in China, where Kean recently opened a campus, and serves as the centerpiece of a new conference center.
While school officials have reportedly dismissed criticism of the purchase, students on Monday said they were surprised the public university would pay so much.
"That's ridiculous," freshman Melrose Johnson said. "It's a table. You're just sitting around it."
"I mean, does it talk to you or something?" added Johnson's friend, sophomore Sydney Espada.
The custom-designed, multimedia table comes close to possessing the power of speech: included in its $219,000 price tag is an array of audio equipment and other electronics to be used during conferences, accommodating speakers from up to 25 international locations, according to university officials.
The conference system features a meeting-recording interface with multi-channel audio ports; one microphone for each of the table's 23 seats, plus two wireless microphones and four Bose speakers; five power outlet panels, one of which hooks up to projecting equipment synched with screens inside and outside the conference room and an equalizer, amplifier and feedback suppressor, which are housed in a separate cabinet.
Last week, the table and its corresponding equipment were used for a roundtable discussion on the heroin abuse epidemic.
The meeting room will be available for event rental to offset the cost of the furnishings, according to the school.
School officials have said the conference center — and the new Green Lane Academic Building, where it is located — is a strategic investment in the school's development as a world-class institution.
Some students, however, said they didn't see how a high-tech conference table would affect their educational experiences.
"It doesn't really benefit us," freshman Nellie Marrira said. "They could have gotten any table."
Edson Mendez, a sophomore and commuter student, said there are probably other places on campus that could have used the money.
"I'm kind of at a loss for words," he said. "It's a table. How much do you really need to spend?"