Pierce-White dormitories have seen an uptake in vandalism in recent months, resulting in a building-wide meeting on Monday, Nov. 11, to address the ongoing issue.  

All Pierce-White residents received an email informing them of a mandatory meeting that would take place later Monday night in Anderson Auditorium. The email was sent out by Portia Gresham, Director of Resident Life & Housing, Rylee Walters, Area Coordinator, Ashley Farmer-Hanson, VP of Student Success/Director of Community Engagement, and Lucy Croft, VP of Student Success.  

The meeting was to inform all residents about the nature of damages and what would be done if the culprit(s) are not caught. Incidents included toilets jammed with full rolls of toilet paper and feces, as well as urine and vomit on bathroom floors, according to Croft. This has been happening all over both halls with a concentrated effort in the boys’ bathroom on Pierce third floor.  

The last straw before the Monday night meeting was the second-floor White kitchen sink being left running all night on the countertops with the windows open. It’s believed the culprit left windows open and water running with the intention of freezing over the countertops and floor. That night, temperatures got down to 34 degrees Fahrenheit, just warm enough to keep the water from freezing over.  

“This is not a game anymore,” said Croft during the meeting, clearly fed up with the unsightly behavior. When asked if local authorities outside of campus authorities were involved in the investigation, Croft told The Tack, “Everything is open on the table for us to look at every possible avenue to help resolve this situation.”  

One option brought up at the meeting was potentially charging residents an additional $300 to pay for a new security surveillance system if someone did not come forward with information regarding the vandalizer(s) within the following week. Students were not allowed questions or comments during the meeting.  

 “[The vandalism] has been a problem for a couple of months now,” said Grace Meyers, sophomore Resident Assistant (RA) of White fourth floor. “We have had issues with residents vomiting and not cleaning up after themselves. It’s almost a weekly thing now. Someone is peeing in the Pierce-White elevator…It’s disgusting.”  

She went on to explain, in detail, possible charges students can expect if the issues are not resolved.  

“If I recall correctly, aside from preexisting damages, Jessica quoted the security cameras at $46,000. This is because we are a campus facility so there are regulations on camera grade and quality. Also, because of the stress and strain the vandalism is putting on campus security, they (BV) will be hiring additional security personnel from an outside organization. That will cost, if I remember correctly, $12,000 per month.”  

Head of Campus Security Jessica Garling did not respond to The Tack’s inquiry to confirm or deny this claim. Croft confirmed potentially billing students but declined to comment on the amount and when it might occur.  

This option sparked rage among many students.  

“I’m pissed,” said Molly Wingert, senior resident of Pierce–White dormitories. “I think it’s really unfortunate… this situation could be handled better. I don’t think it’s fair to charge everyone. They shouldn’t skip directly to charging students who have no involvement. There has to be a better solution.” Wingert is not the only student disturbed by possible repercussions. Several students spoke of the potential to transfer or drop out due to a lack of personal finance.  

Since the mandatory Monday meeting, multiple incidents have occurred “consistently inconsistent,” according to Croft. She declined to say what day and time they took place.  

The end of the week was met with an email statement from Croft to the entire BVU community on Friday, Nov. 15, with the status of the situation.  

“This week, members of BVU Residence Life, Campus security, Housekeeping, and other departments met with residents of Pierce and White halls to discuss concerns surrounding occurrences of vandalism and property damage throughout the past two months,” read the statement.  

Croft also explained in the email what BVU has done thus far to address the issue in more detail. “BVU Campus Security has increased frequency of rounds and hall monitoring. Additionally, BVU has assessed community damage fees to only residents on third floor Pierce due to the concentrated vandalism in that area.” These students were fined $37.70 on Nov. 6, according to the email.  

“As the department works to find resolution, we encourage you to be observant and immediately report information any other incident related to vandalism,” said Portia Gresham, Director of Resident Life & Housing, in an email to Pierce-White residents the day before Crofts email. Gresham, along with Pierce-White Area Coordinator Rylee Walters, declined to speak with The Tack on this matter.  

Any information on the vandalism or identity of the culprit(s) can be sent to Campus Security at [email protected] or 712-749-2500. There is also an online confidential form to report information.  

“Student Success is approaching it in the best way possible. They are honestly people who really care about the students. If students need to talk or have questions, reach out to the Student Success staff,” said Meyers.