Newing College’s Broome Hall has experienced a rash of vandalism this semester that has caused Residential Life to implement regular patrols of the hallways by officers of Binghamton University’s New York State University Police.
Vandalism acts in Broome Hall have included paint and telephones ripped off walls, stolen elevator lights and graffiti-covered walls.
The University will replace the tan-colored phones in Broome Hall’s hallways that were formerly available for students’ use with red emergency phones. Students found tampering with the new phones now face consequences equivalent to those for unnecessarily pulling a fire alarm.
Kristin Calegari, assistant director of ResLife for Newing, said they have already repaired many damaged exit signs, elevator lights, phones and erased graffiti in Broome Hall during the first three months of the fall semester.
Residents in Broome Hall have also complained that cleanliness is an issue in the building.
“Why would you break things here?” asked Jackie Sadofsky, a freshman majoring in biology. “It’s messed up. I don’t want to think that someone who lives here would want to break phones off walls and make damage. It’s also unhygienic, for those who spit in the elevator. Have some respect.”
The University is also considering installing cameras in Broome Hall, according to Sal Rametta, a resident assistant in Broome Hall and a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience.
“Installing cameras is under strong consideration,” Rametta said. “As of now the decision has not been relayed to us just yet.”
Rebecca Allison, a third-year RA and a senior double-majoring in psychology and human development, said she welcomed police patrols and would approve of the installation of security cameras in Broome Hall.
“Personally, I think it’s a good idea that UPD will be in the building and the cameras,” she said. “I think some believe are extreme, but [it’s] where we’re at.”
David Sass, a freshman majoring in history, said he was also aggravated by the vandalism, but thinks installing cameras in the dormitory building would be an inappropriate response.
“[Cameras would be] an invasion of privacy and the administration is not letting us express our rights and opinions on the matter,” Sass said.
Lisa Knoph, a freshman majoring in management with a concentration in financing, agreed with Alison.
“I would suggest video cameras so vandals will be caught and pay for damages,” Knoph said.
Rametta said that although no Broome Hall residents have been fined for vandalism damages so far, the University is considering fining all residents.
“ResLife is currently accruing charges for excess cleaning and damages if perpetrators are not caught,” he said. “At the moment there is at least $500 worth of damage per floor.”
UPD officers made rounds in the halls of Broome starting this weekend.
ResLife has encouraged students to report any suspicious behavior in the building to police, Calegari or Heidi Morton, Broome Hall’s residential director.
Morton declined to comment for this article.
Broome is reportedly not the only hall in Newing College that has experienced vandalism this semester. The furniture in Bingham Hall’s fourth floor lounge was piled on top of each other and a large hole was put in the wall.
Melissa Ruff, a freshman majoring in marketing and a resident of Bingham Hall, said every resident of Bingham Hall was fined $2 for the damage to the lounge because the identities of the vandalism’s perpetrators are unknown.
“In Bingham, they took the furniture in the study and piled it on top of each other and broke a table into pieces,” Ruff said. “They took a fire extinguisher or a table and broke a hole in the wall.”