NEWS ANALYSIS: Residential Living officials grapple with continual vandalism on campus

From graffiti in High Rise South elevators to fires in High Rise North stairwells, vandalism has become an increasingly common problem in University residences. And no matter how many times officials plead with the student body to stop the vandalism, it does not appear to decrease, much less stop. Vandalism costs the University approximately $2,000 a week, according to Residential Living Assistant Director for Residential Safety, Security and Facilities Gordon Rickards. That figure does not even include the time and labor of the maintenance employees making repairs --Ewhen they could be doing other work. "It's a terrible problem that the residences face," Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone said. "It wastes a tremendous amount of resources and a lot of money is spent that would go elsewhere." In the most recent incident of campus vandalism, a number of posters were burned in the stairwells of High Rise North last week. And Simeone said vandals have also destroyed safety equipment in the residences. "In one residence over one weekend recently, there were 34 acts of vandalism to hallway and exit lights," she wrote in a letter condemning the vandalism. These incidents are in no way isolated. High Rise South residents found graffiti in the building's elevators on several occasions two weeks ago. Maintenance workers continually attempted to paint over the graffiti, but the perpetrators then scratched names and words into the fresh paint. And in February, a vandal wrote a lengthy poem on the walls of a High Rise South stairwell, beginning between the rooftop lounge and the 24th floor and continuing until the landing between the 15th and 16th floors. Beginning last semester, students and residential advisors found feces piled or smeared in various women's bathrooms in the Community House section of the Quadrangle. Although administrators said they do not know if the acts of the so-called "Mad Shitter" constituted vandalism or a medical problem, no one ruled out the possibility of the former. Even more disturbing, last month, students found anti-gay graffiti chalked on several walls in the Quad. And last year, students found swastikas in Graduate Tower A and the Quad. Simeone said vandalism has been an on-going problem throughout her 16 years with Residential Living. She said the consequences of graffiti, destruction and other acts go beyond draining University resources and budgets. "It shows terrible disrespect for other students and is very demoralizing," she added. "Students need to be outraged by it -- they need to say 'cut it out.' " Simeone said a great deal of vandalism occurs during Spring Fling weekend, which will begin this year on April 21. Quadrangle lounges are now locked over Fling weekend because in the past, they have been "destroyed," she explained. Simeone attributed some of the Spring Fling problems to the multitude of guests who stay in the residences over the weekend. In fact, the majority of vandals do not live in the buildings where they commit the crimes, she said. But Simeone said she did not know how much of the vandalism has been caused by members of the University community and how much has been committed by guests or other outsiders. Those who are responsible for the vandalism could face a wide variety of penalties, depending on the specific circumstances.Residential probation is a "given," Simeone said. Often, students also pay for any repairs that may be required. In some situations, students are permanently denied access to the residence where the vandalism occurred. At other times, the University Police and Judicial Inquiry Officer may become involved.