In the final week of summer session, theft persists. On Tuesday, $200 was stolen from Kirtland House, and $100 was stolen from Lamont Hall on July 28th.
The two victims both admitted that they had left their doors unlocked. Since both were smaller sums of money, the students have been on the lookout for
it in case it was just misplaced in their dorms.
Kirtland Hall has only nine occupants, so Paul Gravel, the Director of Campus Safety and Risk Management, says that he is hopeful that the case will be solved or that the money will be returned.
With the final days of the 2022 summer approaching, one may expect that thefts may rise because it is some people’s last chance to get their hands on extra spending money, but as Mr. Gravel says, “People will steal when given the opportunity.” The number of thefts will not necessarily rise in the next few days, but students should maintain strict locking practices.
In another incident, the first serious damage to Exeter property was reported on July 31st when students intentionally threw objects through a window screen at Soule Hall. It is typical for students to remove window screens so they can sneak others into their dorms.
When this happens, they are simply asked to reinstall the screen. In this case, however, the damage to the screen was unrepairable and therefore punishable. The students responsible for the damage have been reported to the deans and consequences have been meted out.
There were a few sports-related injuries this week. One student was struck with a medicine ball during gym but remained conscious, and another got a bad scrape. Both injuries were treated at the Lamont Health Center.
Having safety incidents to report each week may seem like Exeter is out of control, but Mr. Gravel said that this year has been fairly calm. There have been no incidents downtown, the number of thefts is average, and the damage done to property has been minimal.
“No one got hit by a car!” said Mr. Gravel. That alone always makes a summer successful from a campus safety perspective, he said.
Campus Security deserves a big thank you from all the Exeter Summer students. From unlocking doors to solving water pellet assault cases, everything the officers do keeps our campus running and deserves an immense amount of appreciation.