By Adam Harrison
News Editors
Kaitlin Carman
News Editors
University Police are leading an investigation in Corinne Hall Towers and Larned Hall after recent reports of vandalism.
At the beginning of the year, all resident students were charged with a standard $100 damage deposit. This deposit is refunded at the end of the academic year after a damage assessment, according to the FSU website.
If any damage is found or reported, it will be deducted from the residents’ damage deposit.
In an email sent to Towers residents, Interim Area Director Chris Addario addressed the recent vandalism in Towers and said that it does “classify as damage to the building.”
He said there is no estimated cost of repairs yet, but the damages could result in a fee to repair and replace the vandalized 4th-floor elevator doors.
Those responsible have not yet been identified.
Unless the University can determine who is responsible for the damage, the cost will be divided among every resident in the vandalized buildings.
The cost to repair or replace damages will be applied to the damage deposit. If the vandalized items and/or any additional damages exceed the $100 deposit, the remaining fees will then be applied to the students’ bills, according to the email.
A vandalized laundry room door and exit signs have also been reported in Larned Hall.
University Police Sergeant Harry Singh said the department is taking the lead in the investigation and police dispatch is reviewing the cameras.
“The cameras in the residence halls are always working, and they are always recording … and we make sure everything’s always working and recording at all times,” he said.
University Police take active measures to make their presence known on campus to make residents feel safer and to discourage crimes like vandalism, according to Singh.
He said, “We have officers and patrol cars. … A great thing we have is security officers actually doing foot patrols doing building checks. Our goal is to make sure that our community feels safe on campus at all times.”
Residence Life is working with University Police to investigate the vandalism and identify the individuals responsible.
Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life Glenn Cochran said, “When community property is vandalized, it takes away from the community and also creates costs, which in the end, also fall back on the community.”
He said Residence Life acknowledges most students are respectful and treat the residence halls very well, and are “equally disturbed when an individual damages property to the detriment of other members of the community,” he said.
Cochran also asked any member of the community who has information that could be useful in these investigations to come forward and contact their Area Director.
“We appreciate the support of those in our community who speak out against this kind of behavior and treat community property with care,” he said.
He said he is hopeful the individuals responsible will come forward, or the investigation team is able to identify the individuals. If the guilty party is located, the community will not bear the cost of the vandalism repair and/or replacement.
“To the person or persons who did this, I urge you to contact your Area Director or a staff member in Residence Life to inform them so we can work through a resolution,” Cochran said.
There has been no increase in vandalism this year, which Cochran attributes to communication and shared responsibility being prioritized by Residence Life and the FSU community.
“Our collective safety and security are absolutely enhanced when all residents have the opportunity and play a part in setting cultural expectations and responsibility. Our goal is to keep community damage as minimal as possible by working together,” he said.
This is “why we work to communicate issues and work with our community to help minimize unallocated damages,” said Cochran.
The damage bills are itemized, and Residence Life offers an appeal process for students charged.
Jordayn Padilla, a sophomore who works as a student desk attendant (SDA), said, “I think immaturity [causes] a lot of it - recklessness, too. They don’t really think about the damage they’re going to cause.
“Charging all residents for vandalism “doesn’t bother me as much because in the long run, it is probably like two or three dollars [billed] when they divide it by everybody.”
Padilla added, “I know they like to use cameras, and they always say, ‘We have cameras in these buildings,’ and I just don’t understand why they won’t use it to pin [the vandalism] on someone.”
Estrella Barbel, a freshman, attributed the vandalism to “recklessness and people being careless about the property in general. … They just don’t care. Like, they’re not at home.”
She said she understands why they would bill building residents, but some students might not be able to pay depending on their financial circumstances.
“There’s people who can’t pay like $100 out of pocket. … Some [students] don’t work; some are more focused on their studies. Some people just aren’t fortunate enough to have funds like that so I think they don’t really take that into consideration,” said Barbel.
She added because resident building cameras are apparently out of order, as they have not yet identified those responsible, it is impossible to find the perpetrators and hold them accountable to avoid charging all residents.
“There’s not much they can do. They can’t place the blame on anybody, but they can also update the security cameras so they can pinpoint who it is … [and have them] pay for this damage or just pay some portion of what [they] destroyed,” said Barbel.
K-la Vazquez, a sophomore, said, “When I lived in residence halls, [vandalism] was mostly [happening] in Larned and Towers - that’s where most of the freshmen stay. … They’re definitely new to the whole aspect of living alone - and their maturity levels, of course.
“I feel like it’s a little bit unfair that they are trying to charge us all, because it wasn’t all of us who did it, but at the same time, I understand it because you are supposed to be a building community. We are supposed to support each other and everything, but yeah, it’s a mixed emotion,” Vazquez added.
Harrison Kruger, a junior, said, “I prefer to not get dragged down with the whole boat. … Making everyone suffer for the actions of the few, to me, isn’t necessarily going to dissuade anyone from doing it. … There’s no accountability. There’s no punishment for the people who do that.”
Kruger said, “I thought we grew out of this shit in high school. … There’s no payoff. There’s no kick. I don’t get where that’s coming from.”
University Police encourage students to report anything they know about these incidents. Students can also leave an anonymous tip by texting “FSU TIP” to 267283.
Students can reach the office by calling 508-626-4911, emailing FSUpolice@framingham.edu, or visiting the office located in the McCarthy Center, which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.