Friday
March 19, 2010
Letter to the Editor
This is a response to the article entitled “Students stealing across campus” by Zac Hiser.
Usually I never really have strong opinions on articles in Sojourn only because the articles seem to be more informative but that article had really caught my attention as I was quickly looking through the articles of the newest Sojourn newspaper.
I, as a student center assistant and a full time student, had been in numerous meetings with the Conference Services staff about various items this semester being stolen. In the past, we had items stolen or missing in the student center and it will probably continue unless the student body is more aware of these issues that arise. Last fall, the Dean of the Chaplain’s office had a poster with Dr. Lo and the team in it down near the stairs across from Wildcat on a table. It was just a poster encouraging students to go talk to the Chaplain’s but after a while, it was stolen. I had received a call from the Chaplain’s office while working at the information desk asking where it was and I had no idea. Because I didn’t know, I searched our storage rooms. No luck. A little bit after that incident, the poster had been found in some student’s townhouse where they just had it placed in their living area. The Chaplain’s poster for this year, which was placed in the same spot as last fall, had gone missing again. It was later recovered outside after it had been run over by a car and was too destroyed to use again. Last semester (spring of 2009), I had found a girl down my hall who had stolen the large Christmas ornament (as mentioned in the article). I couldn’t overlook it, and I don’t know if it was fate or not, but as I was walking by her room, I overheard her say proudly that she stole it from the student center and mentioned to some friends did the same and how her other ornaments were stolen from other places.
Being a student and an employee to the school, I felt a tug but I knew I had to confront the girls to let them know that they stole the ornament from Mrs. Smith and the school. Those Christmas decorations are from Mrs. Smith and but is placed under Conference Services care. I took advice from my RA and asked the girls to return it to Conference Services. In two days, she had returned it and I was happy she did but I was also very upset because she didn’t apologize for stealing it before she had asked if she could keep it. Usually when someone steals something from someone, you don’t hand it over to the rightful owner and still ask if you could keep it. That is what little children do and is considered (in my book) very disrespectful and immature for a college student to do.
As the student center assistant and also working three full summers with conference services and along side with James Lipetri, the director of Food Services, I find it an ache in my heart to hear students stealing from Baldwin. These students don’t know how hard he actually works to make sure the students are happy with the food and to make sure the services are at its best; he does a good job and very few students appreciate what he does. It’s almost like biting the very hand that feeds and pets you. He’s a good guy and out of respect for him and everyone else who works in Baldwin, it would seem that stealing from them is probably not the best way to show respect.
I, in a way, find it very aching to go to class, eat, and even worship along side these people who steal from the school and not have a problem about it. As a Christian campus, I assume most students know the Ten Commandments and probably have most of them memorized. No need to explain where I am getting with that. But Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God and each other. I wouldn’t consider stealing an act of love or worship.
Other items that have been stolen this semester alone from the student center, but the major ones are a couch from the second floor in the student center at the beginning of the semester. It was later found and returned but it was first found missing by one of the student center assistants and she called campus police.
Also, two of the black sign holders from the student center have gone missing. Those signs are $86 dollars each and departments in the student center don’t have money to keep spending on items that are repeatedly being stolen. And for me to think that I go to meetings where my bosses tell us what has been stolen or returned to only to read in the article that students are making a game of this gets me upset. I am not one to get angry easily but reading that was enough to get me to write this and talk to my bosses about the article and express my feelings on the issue. Someone or some department did pay for these items and have to re-spend the money for what they took because we can’t serve other people properly without these items.
I personally would love to see even a small announcement for students on campus to call campus police when they see a student walking out of the student center with an item which belongs inside. I am sure some students saw these actions and brushed it aside, but when the couch was stolen from the 2nd floor in the student center and walk out with it without a single student saying anything, that makes it harder on us staff and some of us staff are students just like you who already have a lot on our plates with classes. Sure, a basket from Baldwin or salt shaker may not seem like a huge deal but when it comes down to it, it is stealing and someone has to spend money to replace it. If we can’t be trusted with the small things in life, how can we then be trusted with something bigger? I didn’t grow up in a Christian home at all but I sure was taught to respect others and their properties (whether a person or business) and I was punished when I did wrong. My mother would grab my hand, take me to the person whom I stole it from and made me apologize and hand it back to them. It sucked but it was the right thing to do. This isn’t just a Christian issue but a moral issue as well. I know many non-believers who have more respect than some believers do who would see an issue with stealing, even small items. I can already see a conversation with my non-believing mother, aunt, and grandma after addressing my anger towards students stealing from the student center, giving them another example and reason on why Christians are hypocrites and how we don’t need the church if it’s breeding these kinds of people. Sure, some people will laugh about my opinion and brush it off but if a student doesn’t place her concern on this issue, who will? It’s a concern for me as a Student of IWU and also an employee.
Blessings,
Amanda McNeil
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