It’s two in the morning, from inside your dorm room, you can hear footsteps running down the hall. Laughter and doors slamming shut startles you, causing you to fully awaken from your sleep. Commotion in the hallways continues and more laughter erupts. Suddenly you hear a loud crash and someone gasp. The halls go quiet. When you peak outside your door to investigate, you see trash scattered throughout the floor, furniture has been moved around, and when you look up, you see a broken exit sign dangling from the ceiling.
Every year, a new batch of students come to live in the residence halls. These students are continuing to develop and learning how to live on their own and become more independent throughout their college years. They want to have fun and experience college life away from their parents, but some take it to an extreme level and turn their fun into vandalism or destruction.
“The destruction being created around the dorm halls takes away the ability for people to really enjoy their community and have that sense of community,” said John Salazar, Associate Dean for Student Success and Residence Life at Buena Vista University.
Recently, someone took a pool stick cue and jammed it into the wall of one of the billiard rooms in Pierce White, creating holes in the wall.
“It really upsets me because this is our property, and our dorms are not that ran down compared to other colleges. I feel like we’re not taking care of it and being appreciative,” said sophomore Eternity Haff, Pierce White 4th Floor Sophomore Resident Assistant.
The damages being caused around the dorm halls can influence future students or potential folks that are coming to look at BVU. When you see furniture in funky places or garbage lying all over the floor it isn’t typically the most appealing. Of all the vandalism taking place, the most common destruction happens to exit signs.
“I think we’re between 10 and 15 [exit signs] that have been broken, and usually there’s repeat offenses,” said Emma Chase, Pierce White Area Coordinator.
Broken exit signs are also a fire code violation. In case of an emergency, the exit signs are there to guide someone out. This past fall semester, residents in Pierce White were fined a five-dollar fee for the damages that were caused, like broken exit signs and messy lounging areas.
“It’s meant to be a home away from home. When we have vandalism, I think students assume we go from zero to ten, which is completely untrue,” said Salazar.
There are many different issues residence life deals with and several different emails that are sent addressing this issue of vandalism asking for someone to confess or turn in the person that caused the damage.
“A lot more issues would be resolved if people would turn in those who are causing the vandalism or destruction,” said Chase.
It’s one thing to play pranks around the dorm halls, but it’s another playing field when exit signs are broken and holes are created in the walls. While this culture of destruction continues to make noise, even in the late hours of the night, students and faculty alike hope to find a solution and stop this trend of vandalism.
