It’s hard to believe, but the frontrunner for the NYC mayoral race, Zohran Mamdani, has a bit of a history from his college days at Bowdoin College in Maine. It seems he and some friends took a table from one of the campus buildings.
In a write-up from 2011, Mamdani shared, “I sometimes use the table in my room. You know, for a game with a Red Solo Cup and some ping pong balls.” He went on to clarify that it wasn’t really a drinking game since that would break the rules, so they played with water instead.
He acknowledged that the whole act wasn’t exactly spontaneous. In fact, Mamdani detailed that it came after being inspired during his first year. He had a peculiar affinity for the furniture, claiming he sought to “borrow” it for a few nights along with a friend.
Apparently, he was under the impression that there were no security cameras in place as he moved the table. So, you can imagine his surprise when, the next day, he received a call from a retired Maine trooper named Randy Nichols, who managed university security at the time.
During their phone conversation, Nichols casually asked if Mamdani knew anything about a missing bench from the second floor. Mamdani initially didn’t grasp the situation. “Bench or table, Nichols?” he queried, shocked. But it didn’t take long for him to admit to taking the table that day.
He confessed, “I didn’t ask anyone, and I wasn’t really thinking twice about it.” Despite the mischief, Mamdani expressed that he still had some fondness for Nichols, humorously noting how he had once reported on crime but hadn’t quite expected to be on the other side of it.
As for whether Mamdani faced any repercussions for this escapade, that remains unclear.
In an attempt to seek a comment, inquiries made to Nichols went unanswered, and Mamdani’s representative also did not respond.
