By Shauna Stagner
The Scene staff
Many people at Forest Park had never heard of “Brody chairs” before this semester.
The portable study pods made their way to all St. Louis Community College campuses in early October.
Nursing student Nicki Allison is a big fan.
“I love the privacy, the convenience of the plug-ins for my laptop, and they are very comfortable,” she said.
The pods are officially called Brody WorkLounges by Steelcase, the international furniture company that manufactures and sells them.
They could be described as freestanding, three-sided cubicles with padded chairs and adjustable desktops.
“Through a combination of ergonomic comfort, visual privacy, personal storage and lighting, (the) Brody WorkLounge creates a comfortable microenvironment so users can focus their attention, get into flow and get work done,” the Steelcase website states.
STLCC put 14 pods on the Forest Park campus, including eight in the library, four in hallways and two in the former cafeteria.
They cost $3,200 each, according to President Julie Fickas.
STLCC officials bill the purchase as a way to provide private places to study and social distance in the age of COVID-19. Fickas has noticed some students using the pods for online or LVL (live virtual lecture) classes.
“They’re really, really popular,” said Library Manager Monica Holland, noting they were barely installed before students began taking advantage of them.
Officials picked out “fun colors” for the library pods, Holland said. Not all have plug-ins for laptops and other electronics. The staff is waiting for new electrical outlets to be installed.