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PAST ISSUES

Vandalism in Edgewood angers residents

by Evan Mezansky
Exchange Staff

     In the early morning hours of November 18, two brackets that held together a water pipe were ripped off the ceiling on the first floor of Edgewood, raising concerns about safety of both students and their property.

     There have been vandalism issues in all sophomore resident halls this semester. Several weeks ago, the vending machine on the first floor of Cheshire was smashed open, leaving glass all over the floor. The latest vandalism incident occurred in Edgewood. Two brackets connecting water pipes to the ceiling were ripped out.

     "If there is ever a fire, who is to say the sprinklers would work right if they're tampered with?" said Living Assistant Chris Johnson.

      According to Johnson, the pipe looked as if it was sagging, which would cause safety concerns to the residents living on the first floor. "If the pipe broke or water was discharged, it would have spread through the hall way causing damage to residents' personal belongings, and causing a very large mess," said Johnson.

      An individual sprinkler can release hundreds of gallons of water per minute. If one had gone off due to vandalism, residents would have been at risk of their personal belongings getting ruined. Residents would also have possibly been dismissed from their dorms for the night.

     "The whole hallway would have been flooded out," said EVS worker Nancy Ringland. "The upstairs part of Edgewood has also been very loud and rowdy."

     Sophomore Cristy Telson wrote an e-mail to the school regarding the concerns she has with the situation. According to Telson's e-mail, "I feel that the guilty parties could have been caught and the damages would have been discovered and fixed before noon the next day." Telson also feels that it is unfair for the innocent to be held accountable and pay for the damage in her dormitory.

     Although many students fear that the vandalism will continue,  sophomore Corie Merhib doesn't feel threatened by the recent  incidents that have taken place.

     "I feel safe because I feel everything is blown out of proportion. From what I see, it is drunk random people that come in and break things. I don't really take that as a threat; however I wasn't on campus the weekend it happened so I feel I shouldn't get charged for the damage. I don't see that being fair," said Merhib.

      That same weekend, the vending machine in the laundry room was flipped over.  The paper towel dispenser and the mirror off the wall were also damaged. Before that, the glass on the first floor door facing Monadnock was also broken.

     "It's a small campus, and people talk," said Johnson. "If people know who is doing these actions, it's their responsibility to come forward and save their friends some money."

     An anonymous resident of Edgewood is disappointed in the lack of respect that residents display towards other residents that live in Edgewood.

     "The bathroom is in shambles every morning; especially worse after a Friday or Saturday night. The trash is all over the floor, there is urine all over the toilet seats and the floor.  There have been shower curtains ripped down. We had to have the vents on the bathroom doors replaced.  There is trash all down the hallway almost every morning when I get up. It is terrible." The student also mentioned how it is the same people making noise continuously in the early hours of the morning. 

     If any student has information on the recent vandalism incidents, they are urged to contact their Community Assistant, or contact Chris Johnson. "The residents have to work together and pass on information. Unless they come forward with this helpful information, it is hard to find out who exactly is responsible," said Johnson.