Over the weekend, the plasma television next to the Information Booth in the Shapiro Campus Center was stolen. The television, which Student Events used to highlight announcements and the campus calendar disappeared sometime between 2:00 and 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, according to Sergeant Dana Kelley of the Brandeis Police.Andrew Stefano '04, who opened the booth on Saturday morning, notified the police between 10:30 and 10:45 a.m. of the theft. Stefano stated there was no legitimate reason for the television to have been removed.

"The cops came and took my statement at around 11:30 a.m.,"Stefano said.

The Police Department said a full investigation is underway and officers were still examining the crime scene for fingerprints late into Saturday afternoon.

An exact figure was not ascertained, but the television, which was manufactured by Panasonic, is valued between $5,000 and $10,000.

An employee of the information booth said last night that the calendar, while still available on the Internet, is greatly impeded with the loss of the television.

The hefty price tag of the television only adds to the gravity of this theft. Plasma televisions offer a resolution many times sharper than older televisions built around cathode-ray tubes. This difference in quality stems from both a widescreen design and a capability to receive digital signals. Most plasma televisions, like the one in Shapiro, can readily function as computer monitors. This was the design and purpose for the set at the Campus Center, which displayed the Student Events calendar directly from the Web site.

Specific details about the theft have been slow to arrive,. The Brandeis Police Department has not said if it has obtained any leads. Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan could not be reached for comment.