Vandalism Makes a Bad Mark

Drawings all over bathrooms. A destroyed drum set. Soap dispensers ripped off the bathroom walls. All of these incidents of vandalism happened just over the course of one quarter right here at Rockhurst. Vandalism has been an issue this school year. It has been happening everywhere from classrooms to bathrooms. Beyond the physical damage, these acts can reflect poorly on the entire student body. People lose trust for one another and privileges are taken away.

One of the more shocking incidents occurred during the St. Thomas Aquinas football game. Someone snuck into the band room and attacked a drum using a music stand. There is no confirmation on the student who did it, but there is an ongoing investigation.

“I was surprised. Drums, even just drum heads aren’t cheap, so it isn’t just a little bit of damage to replace,” said sophomore Mario Trozollo.

This act adds to similar acts of vandalism that happened the first couple months of the school year. In numerous bathrooms, drawings and carvings can be seen from the inside of the stalls. Beyond the aesthetics, the cost to fix the majority of these repairs comes out of the school’s pocket.

“It comes out of our general budget, which increases the tuition of the school,” said Dean of Students Matt Darby.

Although most of the culprits are never caught, the school is still trying to stop vandalism. More cameras are being added throughout the school. However, a lot of the vandalism happens in the bathroom, the one place you cannot have cameras. There is no clear reason why students do these things.

“Teenage boys are gonna make mistakes, and a lot of those I understand, but vandalism doesn’t really make sense to me,” said Darby.

Aside from the cost from the damages, it can affect other people as well. A student’s reaction to seeing or reading an offensive message or image can trigger many different responses, from feeling threatened or uncomfortable to simply not feeling safe.

Then, there is also the public perception side of things. If one of these messages or images gets out, it can impact the school. At Olathe South High School last year, a student made a racist homecoming proposal sign. Many news outlets picked up the story and the impression it left of Olathe South was not flattering.

Vandalism can impact the Rockhurst student body in other ways, too. Due to the fact that no one confesses for the acts most of the time, teachers can lose their trust for the students. That can lead to privileges being taken away from everyone just because of the actions of one person. Last year, some teachers would not allow students to use the restroom after only one incident of vandalism.

Bottom line, administrators say vandalism goes against all of what Rockhurst stands for. The phrase “men for others” is meant to unify people, yet vandalism pulls people apart.

“People who rip out soap dispensers, shove stuff down the toilet, or whatever it may be, probably don’t want to be here,” said Darby.