Locker treasures found


Vinyl RecordsCab Calloway, Nina Simone and Tony Martin are no longer the household names they used to be. Perhaps the only song a millennial would recognize from the 1940s is the Disney hit, “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah,” which Miley Cyrus re-recorded in a 2006 DisneyMania CD.

But it seems the 1940s crooners were once treasured by at least one FIU student. The musicians were amongst nearly 20 vinyl records found in lockers in the Green Library and Owa Ehan. Recreation Services recently took over the locker rentals in those locations. What they found may surprise you.

“Old textbooks, notes, half drank soda cans, personal toiletries, umbrellas,” said Rob Frye, director of Recreation Services. “We also found a lock box. When we popped it, it turned up academic records from high school and junior high school. We tried to locate the student and she replied!”

In addition to the vinyl records, the staff also found Beacon newspapers dating back to 2005, a hello kitty doll, brand new clothes with tags still attached, shoes, lab coats and tons of dust.

Some of the lockers had been modified to fit larger items as well.

“We found a golf club,” said Frye. “The bottom of the top locker had been removed, so it was a double locker, big enough to fit the club.”

They even found a set of lock cutters. No library book, money, weapon nor contraband was found.

Perhaps the most mysterious of the items is a Miami VA Health Care System identification card for Sergio Dieguez-Albanes, covered with pins representing the United States Air Force and other military honors. Frye called the office to see if they could locate Dieguez-Albanes, but they don’t have him in their records. Frye and his group are still trying to find the owner to return the ID card and pins.Sergio Dieguez-Albanes VA ID

Since the cleaning took place, Frye says students have been taking advantage of the lockers.

“We don’t have any lockers left in the Rec Center and Graham Center is about 90 percent full,” he said. “We have about 350 more now between the Library and OE.”

Lockers are available for $15-20 per semester or $25-35 annually. Students who wish to rent a locker can visit the Recreation Center Membership desk to sign a rental agreement.