Last night a number of members of Yale community were puzzled by an anonymous email from the address sadcookie1@gmail.com, which detailed the details surrounding a missing Macbook Air laptop in Commons Monday around 4:30 pm.
The computer’s owner is in fact Obaid Syed ’14.
He told us in an email Tuesday that he is willing to ask no questions to whoever took the computer, as long as he gets it returned. He will even buy the thief a new computer.
Syed, who is currently running for Yale College Council secretary, said that his campaign flyers were in the computer’s files, not to mention his personal writings, business plans and pictures.
“It’s left me feeling somewhat empty inside- like losing an extension of myself, an arm or leg of sorts that’s necessary to survive in college,” Syed said.
In his email, signed “A Concerned, Sad Yalie” he wrote:
If the individual decides to hang on to the computer, it should be noted that when tracked, the individual could face serious legal consequences, jail and other resume-killing options on the table. The owner has installed precautionary tracking software on the computer – any online connection (i.e. just turning it on) could compromise the identity of the individual, even if the computer is reset (also, if the computer is reset, I lose my data and the deal is off).
Upon realizing it was missing, he searched everywhere in Commons, and asked dining hall workers and nearby students, all to no avail, he said. When he tried to check security footage, he sadly learned that there are no security cameras in Commons, he said. He has reported the case to the Yale Police and Student Technology Services. Syed said that he doubts he will find it.