Well-being threatened by sticky fingers

by Gloria Diaz
Managing Editor

Attention University of La Verne students ­ be on the look out for a Sony Vaio laptop. It was stolen at approximately 5 p.m., Tuesday from Stu-Han wing four.

For all of you who have not heard through the ULV grapevine, someone walked into my room and stole my roommate's computer. Let me catch you up on the events of Tuesday afternoon.

Just like any normal day, my roommate, Alexis, went to visit our neighbor, Callie. Thinking the door was closed, she walked down the hall and knocked on Callie's door. About 20 seconds later they both returned to our room to find her cords and her CD burner on the floor and her laptop gone. Rather than beating someone up, which is what they both wanted to do, Alexis called the Resident Assistant on duty who then called the "valiant" campus safety officer.

He asked the routine questions: What happened? When did you notice this? What was not so routine, but in fact rude, were his comments about what had happened ­ patronizing comments like: "This wouldn't have happened if the door had been locked," and "Well you know, you should keep your door locked when you leave the room."

Please, this is not something you want to hear when your laptop has just been stolen.

True, maybe Alexis should have locked the door when she left the room, but how many of us who live in the dorms actually lock the door when we visit a friend down the hall? Or make a stop at the bathroom? Whatever the precautions she could have taken, it is not an excuse for someone to go into a room and steal a person's private property.

Nor can taking these safety measures give any reason to have a campus safety officer belittle my roommate given the situation at hand. His comments did not help to calm Alexis; they only made her frustrated.

After questioning the girls in the quad next door and some people downstairs, who saw two men and one woman walking around looking into rooms, the only description we have is a woman with an elaborate piercing and red hair walking with two Caucasian men.

Later that evening, when my RA came to my room to talk to my roommate about what happened, I realized that my purse and my camera had also been stolen.

Tell me, why is it that people feel the need to steal? How can you just go into someone's room and take a computer? Why would you steal the computer that holds the life of your fellow college student? It bothers me to know that I go to the same school as these people that have little-to-no morals.

I know that times are tough. I too have no money in my bank account, but I am not going to go and steal someone else's stuff to make an extra buck. Thank you to whomever went into my private room with my private possessions and stole something that my roommate holds near and dear.

I, just like most people in the dorms, have let people into the building if they are waiting to get in.

As of today, if I see anyone waiting outside, do not count on me let you in. I would not wish upon anyone the pain and hurt that my roommate has endured.

So I leave you all with one thought: If you see anything suspicious, call campus safety or the RA on duty. Think about how you would feel if you were the one with your computer or your purse stolen. Have a safe and wonderful weekend and don't steal other people's stuff!

Gloria Diaz, a sophomore journalism major, is managing editor of the Campus Times. She can be reached by e-mail at btls60s@att.net.