Upon entering Park residence hall, one is immediately greeted by a large mural created by a Connecticut College student. The mural, which was originally conceived to improve the sterile appearance of the Plex’s design, was painted earlier this year. Unfortunately, what was once a serene image of ocean hues has become an area of destruction. The mural is now covered with white squares, each representing a portion of the mural that has been punched or kicked in and permanently damaged.
So far this year, students on campus will be paying over $42,000 to cover the cost of dorm damages. This number is close to exceeding last year’s count, which totaled at slightly over $52,000. However, out of the 23 residence halls on campus, Park’s damages surpass all, with charges now totaling over $8,000.
The damages, however, are not just limited to the mural itself. Additional reports within the residence hall include nearly 10 destroyed or damaged exit signs, broken lights, damaged windows, urine in an elevator, feces in a shower, blood signs on the walls and multiple incidents of written vandalism. An anonymous individual also reported seeing a shredded green dot poster in the same hallway as the damaged mural.
Perhaps what is most startling about these events is their deliberateness. As reported at the Park house council meeting, many of the damages have been observed and reported on weekdays. We often conceive that these types of damages only occur on drunken Saturday nights. Therefore, it may come as a surprise that several of these acts have been committed intentionally and, likely, soberly. It has also become apparent that peer influence plays a key role in these incidents. As described by Sarah Herman, a floor governor in Park, “I think it’s all about the culture. It’s hard not to wonder how the influence of others impacts these incidents. There’s this sense of competition where everyone wants to ‘make their mark.’ It’s not like somebody is going to do this on their own. Especially with the mural—that’s such an intentional choice. The wall opposing it is almost untouched.”
In order to address these damages, some students and staff have suggested implementing security cameras into the main residence areas. This approach has faced heavy criticism as a short-term solution which would conflict with the honor code. “If we are not getting to the root of this issue
and we have to turn to security cameras, that speaks to a failure of the community and also a failure of imagination on our part of how to problem solve,” explained Education Professor Lauren Anderson. Frida Rodriguez, the area coordinator for North Campus, also expressed concern that if a security system were implemented, it would only lead to further damages.
In light of these recent events, many individuals have also stressed a need for accountability. Especially on such a small campus, recognizing peers on behalf of their destructive actions may be difficult. However, individuals like Rodriguez argue that it is an essential stand which students must take. “At our college, students are taught to be leaders and you have to learn to make the right decisions—not just for you, but for your entire community. Because that’s the expectation—that we will all do what is in the best interest of our community. And if people don’t speak up there are certainly consequences.”
In my own examination of these events, I have reached a similar conclusion; short-term solutions such as cameras are not the right choice. Although it may be helpful to explore the possibility of heightened security measures, these measures will not allow us to get to the root of what is triggering these incidents. In order to genuinely approach dorm damages, we must engage in more critical discussions about privilege, gender and the culture of our institution.
Most of us know that when an unreported damage occurs, the charges are distributed to all the residents within that dorm. That money is added to every resident’s tuition bill in installments throughout the course of the year. For many individuals on campus, these fines go without consequence. For others, however, they impose an enormous financial burden. “The people who are doing this aren’t affected by those numbers. There are no financial consequences for them, which is why they are destroying the property without thinking,” explained Anthony Namnum, a current floor governor in Park.
When discussing privilege, we also often neglect how wealth may influence a party culture. At a recent campus event, one student explained, “It takes a certain amount of money to get drunk enough to commit some of these damages and a lot of students here simply do not have access to that kind of money. If we are distributing charges equally, that has to be a part of the discussion.” As our campus begins to engage in critical discussions about race and equity, the role of socioeconomic status and class must continue to be part of our active dialogue.
Furthermore, when examining how these damages have been reported, the role of gender cannot be ignored. According to the members of the Park house council, all of the students who have been caught committing these damages have been male. When analyzing the gendered nature of these issues, one student noted, “There is a culture of male violence and we are seeing that being replicated here. That is a group that can be held accountable. I just can’t imagine seeing girls carrying around bats destroying these walls. When we talk about it we don’t discuss how it is gendered.” Multiple students shared these sentiments; they felt that although it is not helpful to isolate any group of students, it is crucial that all individuals, regardless of gender, hold their peers accountable.
Finally, if we truly wish to engage in a productive dialogue about dorm damages, we must talk about how to defy our current school culture. It is easy to think that with the implementation of our honor code, which stresses high academic and personal standards, it is possible to live in a community of mutual respect. Unfortunately, as our campus has witnessed in the past few months, this is not always the case. As evident through anonymous venues like Yik-Yak, some students on campus feel that if their name is not attached to an action, they are free to do or say whatever they please, regardless of how aggressive, destructive or hurtful that action may be. It is indisputable that these dorm damages are destructive, both to our community and to our facilities. However, they also provide a unique opportunity to challenge this culture which many of us have become far too accustomed to. Unlike security cameras, this culture change will not be seen overnight. But if we truly learn to hold our peers accountable, respect our community and see the honor code beyond words on a signed page, we may actually witness this imperative change. •
