Several fraternity benches were reportedly defaced Wednesday with feces and paint, according to Duke University Police Department and student reports.
Delta Sigma Phi fraternity's bench was smeared with feces early Wednesday morning, a police report states. A DUPD officer also found bags of feces left on the bench while patrolling Edens Quadrangle around 2 a.m. Wednesday.
Delta Sig President James Weinberger, a sophomore, said he does not believe his fraternity was targeted.
"I think it was just someone got a little carried away possibly with the idea of pranking benches," he said. "I'm not that, that upset. It's kind of time for a new bench anyways."
Residence Coordinator Jon Acton estimated that the damages would cost around $100, noting that it took an hour of clean-up to remove the excrement from the bench.
Acton said he has reached out to Delta Sig, noting that he wanted to get their permission to send an e-mail-which has not yet been sent-to Edens residents to help with the investigation and prevent such vandalism in the future.
"It affected our community-I really want to help all residents of Edens and all residents [on campus] try to prevent this from happening again," Acton said.
Weinberger said Sigma Nu fraternity's bench was also defaced Wednesday with feces and a drawing. No report has been filed, and Sig Nu President Teddy Jones, a junior, could not be reached for comment Wednesday evening.
Kappa Alpha Order fraternity's bench was also vandalized early Wednesday morning with paint, according to another police report. A police officer found lids to the paint cans that were left in KA's section outside the door to Kilgo House N, where Sig Nu is located. KA President Jay Royston, a sophomore, declined to comment.
A large group of students were gathered in front of Edens 2C, and two students were wrestling when the police officer arrived. Students had been banging broken two-by-four inch boards on the ground to cheer on the students who were wrestling, according to the police report.
Weinberger said some Sig Nu members had come to Delta Sig's section thinking that Delta Sig members had defaced their bench, but when they saw Delta Sig's bench was vandalized they did not confront them. Weinberger said there was no brawl between the two fraternities. Delta Sig's section is located in Edens 1C.
Interfraternity Council President Eric Kaufman, a junior, said he had heard from other fraternity members that there was an apparent confrontation, but he said he cannot confirm it. He added that he did not know who could be the suspects or what could be the motivation for the defaced benches.
"I don't know anything about whose responsibility it was. I'm not going to start playing a blame game," Kaufman said. "It's unfortunate there was vandalism on campus. Fraternities work hard to make their benches."
A Red Devil Firecracker M-1000 was also thrown out of a window from the third floor of Edens 1C, and a resident assistant told the officer that a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity had thrown it, according to the police report. Former Alpha Delt president Michael Shaughnessy, a senior, said he had heard about the incident but said no one in his fraternity was involved.
Weinberger said he is not too concerned about the incident because it seems to have been part of a broader prank.
"The school takes this sort of thing very, very seriously," Weinberger said. "College kids surrounded by a lot of other college kids [and] with alcohol, mischief happens. It's not a big deal."
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