Bold Political Dissidents on Campus Ross Vandalized

Author: Peter Viola

Administrators and student leaders of Ross Commons continue to debate responses to recent acts of vandalism in Ross Dining Hall. Late Sept. 29, vandals entered the dining hall, damaged yogurt and soda machines, smashed a card-swiper and littered the floors with cereal. Vandals struck a week later, smashing a window and tossing food across the floor. Estimated costs to repair damage done is in the thousands of dollars.
"Nobody thinks we are dealing with a large group of disrespectful students," says Stephen Abbott, co-faculty head of Ross Commons. "There are two competing concerns over this: the concern of the dining staff and administration to secure and protect equipment so it is operational on a regular basis, and the underlying commons philosophy that these spaces are meant to be student owned and student run."
Ross Dining Hall external doors are now locked at midnight to prevent unauthorized entry. Proposals, such as installing sliding glass doors to the dining area itself, have been made to further secure the dining hall. Abbott views installing protective doors as "a compromise which would respect the needs of the dining staff but not [infringe upon] the philosophy of the commons." Should doors be installed, they would be locked at night; students wishing to get food then would need to ask a commons staff member to gain access to the dining hall. The hope is that such measures would continue student access while ensuring a degree of accountability by student members of Ross Commons.
Abbott maintains "there's a way to respect both points of view." He mentioned Ross Dining Hall lounge would remain open. "It seemed to us a useful gesture: the more these spaces are used, the more students there are in these spaces, the less likely it is they will be treated disrespectfully. I'm glad this is being thought about — it represents a part of the evolution of what the commons system would like to be."
One Middlebury student, identified as having a minor role in the vandalism, has already written formal apologies (see Opinions letter, page 10).