Art department suffers thefts, vandalism

The safety and happiness of art students was drastically cut into when two separate break-ins within the last two months caused a panic through the department. The art woodshop was broken into and a drawing skeleton was stolen in two separate incidents. Theft and vandalism never seemed to be a problem in the recent past with the art department.

"No matter what seems to walk away, always seems to walk back," says Professor Rafael Salas. "We've been really great in the three years that I've been here with nothing major happening, and all of a sudden these two things."

The first break-in did not involve any theft.

"The first incident was a break-in to the woodshop, which is gated with a cyclone fence," says Salas. "The latch was sawed through, perhaps with a bolt cutter, and entered. The cost for fixing the fence was quite expensive. Whoever entered it then used the tools. They didn't take anything, they just used the tools for something."

Most who are connected with the department say their sense of security has been lost.

"Having my stuff down here was a huge trust thing," says senior Nell Rae Forrest. "For anyone who is in this building, or anyone who can get access to it."

A few weeks after the first incident, a tool used to help instruct beginning drawing students ended up missing.

"The second theft was in one of the classrooms in my drawing studio," says Salas. "It was an anatomical skeleton, life-sized. It happened in the last three weeks and we have not heard any word on that."

Students who used to leave their supplies around in between work hours, now lock their items in the lockers and hope nothing happens before their projects are due.

"I think the students were very frustrated with the events, especially the upperclassmen and others who are around here a lot," says Salas. "I think they saw it as a real violation. They were really angry about it."

When it came down to the woodshop being broken into, it was a feeling of disappointment - especially for Forrest, who says she spent countless hours cleaning the shop.