Over the last several weeks, there have been several incidents of theft and vandalism in and around Oldenborg Center. From suggestive and inappropriate remarks written on white boards and the loss of an expensive dictionary from the Spanish Lounge to the vandalism of the recently installed Peace Pole outside the building, administrators and students alike are feeling frustrated by these attacks.The original Peace Pole, erected in March 2003, was given to the college by the Peace Corps in recognition of the tremendous dedication of Pomona students to the organization. At that time, over 236 Pomona students had joined the Corps, and the number has continued to rise steadily over the years. The eight-foot-tall white monument was originally placed on North Campus near Walker Wall. Within a few years, weather and vandalism destroyed the pole.This summer, Pomona held a small rededication of the Peace Pole in its current location outside Oldenborg center. Within a month of its rededication, three of the four sides were stripped of their writing.Martellino said it is “embarrassing for the school” and that this act of vandalism has repercussions that “reach well beyond the college community, with ramifications for current and future students.”Rita Bashaw, director of the Oldenborg Center, shared a similar sentiment.“Oldenborg and that Peace Pole are the two things parents and prospective students see on tours through the college,” she said. “It’s sad, and what do you think the parents think?”In addition to the destruction of the Peace Pole, there have been other instances of theft and vandalism in Oldenborg over the last month. An expensive dictionary was taken from the Spanish Lounge and has yet to be returned. This theft affects all those who live in the hall as well as Spanish Language Resident Juan Pedro, who no longer has access to it during his conversation classes.On the night of the Japanese dinner, someone wrote offensive remarks on a small picture of an Indian dancer that had been hanging on the wall of Oldenborg for almost four years. That night, a smaller wall hanging also went missing, which turned up about a week later in the room of two girls in Oldenborg. They did not recognize the Spanish tapestry and put an announcement in the Chirps which was called to Bashaw’s attention.Tommy Meyer PO ’12, a resident of Oldenborg, said, “Even though there has been some vandalism and theft in Oldenborg, I do not feel any less safe living here than I did before.”Bashaw said safety is, of course, the first priority of all of the administrators of the building.“All of our students are great,” she said. “We just want to keep the building a secure and cheerful place.”
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