Student safety was at the forefront of discussion when Campus Council convened for a general body meeting Thursday night.
Although no official plans were made, representatives discussed how best to raise awareness and change student attitudes regarding vandalism.
The Council viewed images of the remains of a 50-pound block that was dropped four stories from the McClendon Tower walkway to Keohane Quadrangle Jan. 23.
"If somebody had been hit in the head, they wouldn't be here," said Eddie Hull, dean of residence life and executive director for housing services. "You can do the physics, and you'll still end up dead."
Hull said the Jan. 23 event was one in a series of similar instances on the walkway.
In the past, pieces of furniture have been thrown from the structure.
Since the walkway was built, two full sets of patio furniture have been purchased, and the current set has been depleted from 12 pieces to seven, Hull said.
"This is behavior that has gone on too long," Hull said, adding that the students responsible for the problem have not been caught. "We don't know who it is yet. We'd really like to find out."
Hull said options for addressing the problem include installing cameras on the walkway or removing all furniture from the area permanently.
"We'll then have a wonderful space that no one could use," he said.
The vandalism problem is not limited to the McClendon Tower walkway, Council representatives noted. They also addressed damages to Giles Dormitory Feb. 5.
In the early morning hours, an unknown group of students tore pictures from the walls, punctured a window screen in the laundry room and splattered raw eggs in the kitchen.
In addition, three of the dormitory's five fire extinguishers were hidden in a refrigerator, and the other two disappeared. The vandals also placed pieces of poster board in an oven.
"To me, it's not the cost. It's the behavior itself," Hull said. "The issue is whether or not people are respecting the homes that people live in."
Hull added that responsibility falls upon all students.
"There are students out there who know who is doing this, and they're allowing it to happen," he said. "People who think that's okay have no business being here, period."
Members of Campus Council discussed ways to better inform students of the dangers of such behavior. The organization hopes to encourage students who become aware of such vandalism to report it.
"It's a collective action problem," said Campus Council President Jay Ganatra, a junior. "When you're an individual, it's hard to see the big picture."
Hull said he hopes such a proactive initiative will be effective.
"How do we instill a society where people take account for their actions?" he asked. "I refuse to accept that as a community we cannot adopt a principle that refuses this kind of behavior."
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