As a resident of Giles who, like many others, was asleep when the vandalism occurred, I do not appreciate being told in a recent staff editorial ("Group punishment could deter vandals," Feb. 15) that we as residents should "be more vigilant in enforcing standards of behavior."
The vast majority of Giles residents were not in any way connected to the vandalism in question, and it has not been proven that the perpetrators were residents of Giles. This belief is based on the fact that the destruction happened after 2 a.m. and only Giles residents were allowed to enter the building at that time.
The problem with this logic is that the perpetrators could have entered the building prior to 2 a.m. or "tailgated" in on another person's swipe. However, even if it were proven that the culprits were residents of Giles, it is still unfair to blame the group for the actions of a few. If a flat-screen TV was stolen from Bell Tower dormitory at 4 a.m., would all Bell Tower residents be assessed a fee for its replacement?
The vandalism situation is no different; students should not be held responsible for events they had no control over and did not witness. If the RA on call is not being penalized for going to sleep at a reasonable hour and not seeing the destruction occur (in fact, none of the RAs are being assessed a monetary penalty), why should residents be punished for doing the same thing?
Perhaps the strongest evidence that the group punishment policy doesn't work is that it hasn't achieved its intended goal: revealing the vandals' identity.
It is unfortunate that blame cannot be placed upon the perpetrators, but that doesn't make it right to blame an entire group, many of whom were not even awake while the vandalism was happening. I can't speak for my fellow residents, but I know I won't be staying up all night, vigilantly patrolling the halls, and I doubt anyone else will.
Matt Johnson
Trinity '09
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