Quinnipiac University’s Office of Residential Life has increased watch over the Ledges Residence Hall in the wake of recent vandalism incidents.
Thomas Rouse, director of Residential Life, welcomed the first-year residents of the dorm hall with an email on Jan. 17, three days before move-in for the spring 2024 semester.
“I am excited to welcome you back to the Ledges community and to share the proactive steps being taken to address issues of vandalism and disruptive behavior in the Ledges Residence Hall,” Rouse wrote. “This past semester, there were a number of frankly disgusting incidents in the bathrooms. I ask each of you to take responsibility in helping end the vandalism and the extreme disrespect shown to those living in Ledges.”
Rouse continued, informing the community that “because of the behavior documented last semester, cameras have been installed in the Ledges residence hall to identify those responsible for the inappropriate behaviors.”
“The camera kind of looks right at our door, I assume, I don’t really know the reach on that thing,” said first-year game design major Parker McCarthy. “In the first floor common area there’s a 360 (degree) camera in the ceiling, although some people have been suspecting that there’s not even a camera there, but it’s just one of those fake security things that you install to make people feel like they are being watched, which is incentive enough I suppose.”
Rouse also stated that additional consequences for those found violating expected behavioral standards will include: billing for excessive cleaning or repairs in bathrooms and common areas, lowest priority in the sophomore housing lottery for fall 2024 and revocation of guest privileges.
“While we certainly prefer not to resort to these measures, if the community doesn’t lift its own behaviors to assure appropriate conditions for all residents in Ledges, we are prepared to take these actions,” Rouse wrote.
However, McCarthy said residents do not know whether these measures have already been set in place or are meant to serve as a warning.
“As far as we know, they basically wagged their finger at us and told us, ‘Don’t do that to our beautiful building,’” McCarthy said. “And we just assumed that’s now in place, but nobody really told us if it is.”
Rouse said the Office of Residential Life has communicated the problems to residents through both emails and flyers. In September 2023, Residence Hall Director Dani Mascia held a floor meeting to address the issues, which was then followed by the revocation of guest privileges for all residents for two weeks and the introduction of the anonymous tip line — (203) 582-6201.
However, as Rouse pointed out in the email, “although these measures alleviated some issues, problems in the hall began to escalate again after the guest restrictions were lifted, leading to more damage and unseemly behaviors in the building.”
Some of these incidents included spit and feces on the walls and property damage.
McCarthy claimed that there was also an incident in which residents filmed others for a TikTok video without their consent.
Rouse reiterated in his email that if anyone is aware of any violations (including vandalism and disruptive behaviors) they are to share this information with a residential assistant, Public Safety officer, the Dean of Students office, their Residential Hall director or report it on the Rave Guardian App or through the anonymous tip line.
In his words, “if you’re protecting the few who are responsible for these horrible behaviors, you’re harming the rest of our community.”
“I feel like the camera has definitely helped us, we haven’t had any incidents since they’ve been installed,” McCarthy said. “But then again it’s the first week, so who knows what’s going to happen.”
