Thayer Fouled By Vandalism

A spree of vandalism fouled Thayer Hall last week, outraging residents and prompting a strong response from Assistant Dean of the Secondary School Program Michael J. Prokopow.

The dean and students said vandals soiled several bathrooms and hallways in Thayer last week with human excrement, urine and saliva.

In response, Prokopow told Thayer residents last Thursday night that the Summer School is banning from the dorm all non-residents--including parents of high school students.

Friday morning, the electronic locks were reset to admit only Thayer residents, unlike other Yard dorms which admit all Yardlings.

"Access to Thayer has been restricted to residents only," Prokopow said yesterday, adding that the restrictions will last "until the perpetrators of these acts are discovered or the acts cease, or preferably both."

The restrictions apply universally, Prokopow said--other students, guests and family of Thayer residents are prohibited from the building.

According to summer school students, Prokopow also threatened Thursday to impose a curfew on Thayer by yesterday if the vandalism did not stop.

But according to one summer school proctor, the initial penalties have been working. The proctor said there have been no incidents of vandalism since non-residents were forbidden to enter the dorm.

"Behavior in Thayer has been exemplary over the past weekend," said the proctor, who asked not to be identified.

The proctor said the vandalism was not discussed at a proctor meeting with Prokopow at 9 p.m. yesterday, and that no curfew was in effect late last night.

Students and administrators said the vandals smeared urine on bathroom floors, soda on ceilings, obscene messages on proctors' boards and blood from a used tampon smeared on the walls of a women's bathroom.

Although summer school students interviewed were unanimously repulsed by the incidents of vandalism, they had mixed reactions to the security measures.

"I don't think it's fair, really," said Thayer resident Richard S. Lee. "[Prokopow]'s punishing all of us--the only reason he's punishing us is because we're 'supposed to monitor our own house,' he said.'"

Thayer resident Brett A. Levin speculated that the vandals may not have been from the dorm.

"I just wonder if it could have been someone from somewhere else, because some of the stuff they did was pretty heinous," he said.

But Thayer resident Dan Strauss, who found excrement smeared across the walls of his first-floor bathroom, said the heightened security was a price he was could pay.

"It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make; I would rather live in cleanliness under these restrictions than live in absolute filth," he said.

Students and proctors agreed they wanted their dorm to get back on track.

"I just hope it blows over soon enough and everything goes back to normal," Levin said

Thayer resident Brett A. Levin speculated that the vandals may not have been from the dorm.

"I just wonder if it could have been someone from somewhere else, because some of the stuff they did was pretty heinous," he said.

But Thayer resident Dan Strauss, who found excrement smeared across the walls of his first-floor bathroom, said the heightened security was a price he was could pay.

"It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make; I would rather live in cleanliness under these restrictions than live in absolute filth," he said.

Students and proctors agreed they wanted their dorm to get back on track.

"I just hope it blows over soon enough and everything goes back to normal," Levin said