Perpetual Petty Thefts Reveal Cracks in the Honor Code

By Brandon Wood ‘17 & Mariah Sager ‘18

Published in December 2014

Doodle courtesy of Katya Schwab ‘17.

Talk of theft has been whispered around campus recently. Soap was stolen from the bathroom, detergent was snatched from the laundry room, and food was taken from communal fridges. While this problem is nothing new, unfortunately, there has been an increase in such complaints. Though isolated incidents may seem like no big deal, small thefts add up over time.

The third floor of Main Hall has seen so many people’s food taken from the kitchen that Marianne Virnelson ‘17, one of the three resident assistants (RAs) on that floor, has met with Head Resident Sandeep Poudyal ’16 to discuss possible security measures. One potential solution they have considered is completely restricting the use of the kitchen by locking it up. This solution is not ideal, as “[i]t negatively impacts all who are utilizing those facilities, which is something I don’t want it to have to come to,” Virnelson said. Another idea that has been discussed is the installation of a security camera.

It is possible to get cameras installed, explains Kris Irwin, director of Campus Security, through the College’s Closed Circuit Television Committee, which is composed of faculty, staff, and three student members. If the desire for a security camera arises, it is this committee that decides whether or not one is installed.

While putting a camera up might sound like an ideal solution, Irwin warns that things are not so easy. He says, “We have to think about it because in a residence hall, it gets pretty sticky. We don’t want to create an issue that’s even bigger . . . While theft is important, we have to think about the grand scheme of things, the bigger picture: Are we violating someone’s privacy or expectation of privacy in that particular space?” Privacy aside, Irwin says that “The shame of it is, everybody’s impacted by [theft], not just the culprits.”

The Honor Code is designed to protect students from theft and eliminate the need for security measures like these. So why doesn’t it seem to be working? Since there is little way to figure out the culprit unless the incident has been witnessed, cases of petty theft rarely make it to the Judiciary Committee. Furthermore, because individual cases tend to seem so insignificant, they are almost never reported to Campus Security. “We have few, if any, reports of theft like that,” said Irwin. According to Campus Security’s database, there have been no reports of petty theft since at least January 2014. One victim of petty theft who requested to remain anonymous felt there is “no reason to report it, since it wasn’t worth a lot of money and they can’t catch the thief anyway,” echoing the thoughts of many who have had small items stolen.

In addition to the apparent rise of petty theft, Randolph has seen a surge in serious cases of theft in the past semester. One student, Brier D’Arcy ’16, had her class ring stolen from her dorm room. She wrote on Facebook, “Until now, I had trusted my fellow students.”

Another student, who has asked to remain anonymous, had two bottles of prescription anti-psychotic medication stolen from the mailroom. She, like many students who trust the Honor Code, was in the habit of leaving her mailbox open, but the thief faked her signature on the package slip. Although a sign in the mailroom states that an ID is required to pick up a package, mailroom employees rarely ask for one. The medication, which the student badly needed, was worth about six hundred dollars in total. The student stated, “I came in my first year expecting everyone to live by the Honor Code, and quickly realized that that’s not how this school works. I did not have a lot of faith in the Honor Code, and I have less faith in it now.”

How can we make the culture of the Honor Code here stronger? Randolph’s Judiciary Chair Sally Taylor ’15 said, “There certainly is a problem with theft and that’s where students really need to be aware of other students’ actions.” Sally went on to say, “I’ve thought a lot about this issue—especially over this last year, because students have raised concerns—but I don’t know how we fix it.” Irwin urges students to report all security breaches, even cases of petty theft. “You should report petty theft because it helps the College as a whole, including the student population,” he says. “It’s just a matter of respect for others. We’re trying to live in a community setting. You have to have respect for others.”

Irwin emphasized that even the smallest theft needs to be reported because without clear evidence that thefts are taking place, the College has nothing to address. If there is a need for confidentiality, theft can be reported directly to Irwin himself. Otherwise, the report should be taken to the Reception and Information Desk, also known as Switchboard, located in Main Hall Lobby. “We want you all to know that’s where you can go, twenty-four seven,” Irwin explains. “If you need assistance, if you need to file a report, if you need help with something, somebody is always there to help you.” Switchboard is open all day, all week, and the report will be forwarded to Campus Security.  At that point, “It gets saved [in the Security database], and it stays there forever.”