Billable Vandalism Declines, Damage to Common Areas Rises NEWS ANALYSIS

Author: Paul Barnwell

Broken toilets, brooms, vacuums, a smashed gumball machine, mangled couch frames, holes in walls, a birthday cake smeared on a wall and a chair crushed beyond repair are among some of the dorm property damages reported in the last two months, according to Middlebury College Assistant Director of Custodial Services Linda Ross.

Nevertheless, billable property damage at Middlebury has been on the decline this year. Whereas the total billable damage for the 2000 -2001 academic year amounted to $84,000 dollars, more than halfway through the 2001 - 2002 year, the figure stood at $44,427.82 — far behind last year's cost.

"If we can really encourage our folks to back off from this we can finish the year up really strong," Ross said. Other administrators, such as Brainerd Commons Dean Andrea Baier, are also optimistic that the monetary figure is not a fluke. "I think by and large, students have a great deal of respect for the place. I don't think [property damage] is rampant."

Student opinion, revealed by Director of Health and Wellness Education Marianna McShane's 2001 survey on Middlebury alcohol use and binge effects, suggested that few students commit or approve of property damage. Four hundred randomly selected students completed the questionnaire, which provided more encouraging results than a similar 1998 study.

According to the 2001 survey, 9 percent of students "reported they damaged others' or school property as a result of drinking." Meanwhile 51 percent of students reported they had experienced dorm property damage by a drunken student that resulted in shared bills. Both figures reveal decreases from the 1998 report. Additionally, 94 percent of students disapproved of drinking that results in property damage to a dorm — an increase from the 1998 survey.

Gifford Hall resident Tom Molnar '04 expressed his dismay of dorm property damage. "Every time I check my pin bill and see communal dorm damage charges I cringe," he said. "It was a shame to see that someone was obnoxious enough to destroy our vending machine in Gifford."

A small portion of the student body still approves or is indifferent to student property damage. "Dorm damage really isn't that bad. It's just a result of a good, rowdy evening," said a Hepburn Hall resident, who asked to remain anonymous.

The administrative process surrounding student property damage has been effective in investigating and billing the responsible parties, Ross said. "Since the commons have come in to being, the response is much quicker, the networking system is that much faster. It is easier to get to the students."

After property damage is reported, the correct service branch assesses the damage to determine whether or not excessive force was a factor. If belligerence is determined as the cause of the damage, commons coordinators such as Brainerd's Karin Hall then start student investigations. Very few students, she said, come forward to admit their wrongdoing.

"If you want to break something because you're having a bad day, you should be a man, woman or big enough to turn around and say 'I'm having a bad day, I'm sorry, I'll pay for it,'" Hall commented. She said the sparse number of damage witnesses also troubles her. "It's not fair to stand by and watch stuff happen and not do something about it. I think it's a terrible attitude in society in general," she said.

While student property damage seems to be on the decline, Ross still has some concerns. In the beginning of the year, two Ridgeline houses, Prescott and Palmer, reported significant instances of dorm damage, she stated. On the weekend of Nov. 10 to 11, Prescott House incurred billable damages of $1,142.27, including a dented ceiling, three destroyed window screens, carpet stains and broken kitchen cabinets.

"Prescott is the one I have most concern for. In the beginning of the year, the students didn't have much respect for it," she said, adding that there has been a significant improvement of late. "With the new leadership [in the house] we're working to gain some ground."

Ross also routinely deals with a significant number of missing furniture reports. "It seems like our furniture walks," she said. After Winter Term, a Milliken Hall resident was billed $764.50 for a missing bed, mattress, bureau and desk chair. Similarly, a Hepburn resident was charged $340.50 for a missing dresser and desk chair.

Even though the billable damage figures are on pace to be lower than last year's total, the 2001 - 2002 non-billable property damage stood at $7,277 as of Jan. 30. The total non-billable damage for the 2000 - 2001 academic year was about $8,000, a figure that will most likely be surpassed by the end of this year. Non-billable damage, Ross said, occurs in the College's common areas such as dining halls, academic buildings and parking lots.

The apparent decline of property damage still does not result in relaxed Monday mornings for the College's Custodial Services, since most of the damage is officially reported after the weekend has ended. "During big weekends like Winter Carnival, we kind of dread coming in on a Monday," Ross said, reflecting the sentiment of the department.

But the frequency of wild weekends resulting in a fair share of property damage seems to be waning, according to Hall. "I'd like to believe that students are realizing they should treat things with more respect."