A large stork sign rented to advertise for the upcoming production of the musical "Baby" is missing from its perch in front of Fahy Hall as of Sunday morning.
The sign, measuring about 7 feet tall, was placed in front of the cafeteria entrance by Boland Hall during the week of Feb. 19. Both the sign and the stakes that hold it in the ground are gone, according to Professor Deidre Yates, theater program coordinator and Theater Council adviser.
The sign was moved from the cafeteria entrance to the front of Fahy Hall during the latter half of last week in hopes of advertising all over campus, according to Yates.
"It's gone off to have the baby in a quiet place," Yates said. "We really don't know what happened to it and we would love for it to be returned. There will be no questions asked for the return of our beloved stork."
Jennifer Graham-Macht, a graduate student with the theater department's public relations team, contacted Public Safety and Security on Feb. 27 with the help of the dean's office, which gave permission for the sign to be outside Fahy Hall.
According to Graham-Macht, the stork was ordered from storkdelivery.com and cost $135 for a ten-day rental. The total due for losing the stork will be $420.
"The funny thing is, we considered moving it down to the circle at SOPAC so they would see it as a great advertisement, but that property is owned by the town and we were told there was no guarantee it won't be stolen from there," Yates said.
There was a question that the sign got blown over by the wind, but since the stakes were gone it seems most likely that the sign was stolen, according to Yates.
"I stressed to the person responsible that it's a rental," said Dennis Mazza of the sign company. "If the sign doesn't appear, the school will be charged."
As of press time, Public Safety nor anyone from the theater department has found the stork.
"It's really strange. The stork flew the coop," Yates said.
Charlotte Lewis can be reached at charlotte.lewis@student.shu.edu.
