The Rampage conducted an experiment to see where an item went after being lost. We left a gray zip-up hoodie left on campus near the old science building on Friday Jan. 23, by the Rampage to see where it could end up. Inside the hoodie’s front packet was an AirTag, tucked into place, to track where lost items end up at Fresno City College.

The same bench near the old science building as photographed above, but with the gray hoodie gone on Wednesday Jan. 28. (Photo by: Sophia Wilson)

The first few days had no movement, since it was a weekend with minimal people on campus. But on Wednesday Jan. 28, the location suddenly changed. The AirTag had moved to Parking Lot F across campus, before the signal had been disconnected, and became “unreachable.”

A screenshot of the Rampage AirTag that was duck taped into the gray hoodie no longer being reachable as of Thursday Jan. 27 at 10:51 p.m. The screen shot was taken on Friday Jan. 28 at 1:19 p.m. (Photo by: Sophia Wilson)

The jacket will probably never be found, similarly to many lost items on campus. It couldn’t be recovered after the Airtag disconnected, and most other people don’t keep AirTags on their hoodies and won’t receive their item back.

FCC does have a Lost and Found on campus, located in the police department near the New Science Building. But who knows about that?

Personally, I have lost items on campus for real, without having tracking devices on them. Specifically one time I lost my wallet, which had all my information in it, a ring from my grandmother and my car key inside.

It was scary because I had no idea where it would end up. I went to the front desk of the building I was near when it got lost and they had it.

Of course, it was good that everything worked out. But it makes me wonder, why even have a lost and found at the police department if my item ended up at the front desk of the nearest building?

For starters, the police department is far away from the rest of the campus. When somebody finds a lost item on the main campus, near the Old Administration Building for example, to return that to the police department they would have to walk all the way across campus, under the bridge, up a hill and across a parking lot.

Screenshot of a map of Fresno City College Campus. Highlighted in blue is the District Police Office or (PD), which is where the current lost and found is located. (Photo by: Sophia Wilson)

The distance itself isn’t too bad, but people already don’t want to park in the parking structure because it is far away from campus. So, why would they walk all the way to return an item that isn’t theirs.

And maybe this shows some sort of loss in humanity that a student would find an item and not return it because it isn’t “convenient” but in all honesty you have to be realistic.

The likelihood of a person walking to the closest building and returning the lost item there is so much higher. 

For example, the library and student activity spaces probably get the most foot traffic from the widest variety of people. If I ever find something, my inclination would naturally be to go to one of those buildings. 

FCC is a commuter campus that sees tens of thousands of students per semester, which makes students losing items inevitable. Without knowledge that a Lost and Found exist, these items may never find their way back to the owners.

In a poll conducted on Jan. 30 on the Rampage’s official instagram, 76% or 39 viewers voted that they did not know we had a lost and found, and 24% or 12 viewers did. Students being unaware of a lost and found existing can account for items not being returned.

On the State Center Community College District website, it said, “Items are regularly left behind and end up at our office.  If you lost any items, please contact our office and give a complete description of your item so we can arrange for you to pick it up.”

The lack of student awareness of the existence of the Lost and Found on campus results in items being unclaimed. Even with awareness, people are unlikely to inconvenience themselves by going to the police station. It is far more likely for people to do a kind act, like returning a lost item, to a place of convenience.