Vandalism strikes University Inn
Graffiti and other
damage have increased
at the residence hall
By Jason George
Oregon Daily Emerald
It’s paradise lost at the Club
Med of residence halls.
This academic year, an extra
$1,020 can get you a single room
at the University Inn, located on
Patterson Drive and Franklin
Boulevard, instead of standard
University housing. This in
cludes a bigger room, a personal
bathroom and a smaller cafeteria.
Also this year, a room in the
University Inn can get you tobac
co spit in the hallways, graffiti
and urine in the stairwells, burn
ing bulletin boards and garbage
in your hall.
It’s amazing what money can
buy.
Not that other complexes do
not have problems, but the Uni
versity Inn has been suffering a
blitzkrieg of damages lately. Most
recently: graffiti.
Two separate stairwells have
been vandalized by graffiti, and
more specifically “tagging,” — a
Krylon or Sharpie calling-card
left by vandals. There are at least
four different tags, some aggres
sively scribbled over others, an
act of disrespect to the previous
tagger.
“At this time we do not think it
is gang-related,” said Sgt. Rick
Gilliam, the Eugene Police De
partment’s on-campus supervi
sor.
Gilliam said there has been a
recent flare-up of graffiti in the
East Eugene area, but he does not
recall seeing any of these tags be
fore. With the extensive damage
to the area because of tagging,
Gilliam said the crime would be
a Class C felony, which is pun
ishable by fine, community ser
vice or jail time.
The price of the repair and re
painting is approximately $1,000
per stairwell, according to Timo
thy Womack, resident director of
the University Inn.
The present policy is to charge
the entire complex for damages
anywhere in the protected por
Courtesy photo
Graffiti in a stairwell at the University Inn is just part of a plague of vandalism at the hall.
tion of the building. Womack
said he is considering not charg
ing the residents for this offense
because of the high cost of the re
pair.
However, there are plenty of
other offenses the residents have
been charged for.
Pizza boxes discarded in the
halls have
been a prob
lem, espe
cially on the
seventh
floor, but
Womack
said that this
problem is
desisting.
Couches have been thrown
over balconies to the floor below,
damaging furniture. Also, there
have been three bulletin boards
lit on fire, and several “No Smok
ing” signs ignited.
“I find it ridiculous. I don’t
think it is fair that I have to pay
for people’s destructive behav
ior,” said Lauren La France, an
undeclared freshman. “1 work
hard for my money.”
The lobby of the University
Inn is under video surveillance.
Womack said this has been ben
eficial in apprehending offend
ers in the past, but the cost of
installing the cameras every
where is too great.
If the vandals are caught, the
punishment could be severe,
Womack said. He stressed the se
riousness of the incidents.
“These are the things that
could hamper someone’s
dreams,” he said. “Forget about
the cost, our primary goal is de
velopment out of the home envi
ronment."
For next year, Womack is con
sidering limiting access to each
floor to the residents who live on
that floor.
“I am hesitant to do this, be
cause the free access to the area
they have now is good for a com
munity atmosphere,” he said.
One change that will be imple
mented next year is a weight
alarm for the elevator.
Overcrowding on the elevators
occurred twice in the fall term
and once this term. The over
crowding resulted in the eleva
tors getting stuck below the first
floor. Once, there were 18 people
in an elevator with a legal limit of
six. The fire department had to
be called in to open the doors.
The Office of Public Safety can
be anonymously contacted with
information on any crime at 346
5444. Gilliam can be contacted at
346-2904.
Virtual Office Systems Inc.
In Partnership with
The University of Oregon Bookstore
2387 West 11th Ph. 343-8633 Open Mon-Sat 11-6
The “Workhorse"
Celeron®300a
$699.99
• Genuine Intel LX Board
• 4 MB Rendition AGP
• 3.4 G Maxtor Hard Drive
• 32 MB SDRAM
• Monitor Sold Seperately
Celeron 333a CPU add $25
Celeron 400a CPU add $110
Upgrade to 8 MB Video, $10
Quality Matters
It Really Does.
We use brand name
parts, not imitations.
Why settle for cheap
generic knockoffs?
The “Ultimate"
Pentium it® 350
$1279.99
• QDIBX Board, 100 MHz
• 8 MB Diamond A GP
• 6.4 G Western Digital
• 64 MB 100 MHz SDRAM
• 17” .28 SVGA Monitor
W/Pentium It 400 $1429.99
W/ Pentium tt 450 $1649.99
Upgrade to an 8.4 Gig Drive, $10
All Systems include ATX case, Windows 98,36X CD, 56K v.90 modem, mouse,
keyboard, floppy, Yamaha sound, speakers, 1 Yr. parts/2 Yrs. labor warranty
VOS Inc. Systems arc also available at the U of O Bookstore. Parts available only at VOS Inc.
Prices good though ' 12 *W. AMI). K6. AMI) logo and M)No\\! arc tiademark’s of AMI). Inc Mciiiorx prices icllect cash discount, (io Ducks!
FIND THINGS IN ODE CLASSIFIEDS (BICYCLES, PETS, CARS, JOBS,
ROOMMATES, APARTMENTS, CONCERT TICKETS, PLANE TICKETS,
STUFF YOU LOST, TYPING SERVICES, ON-CAMPUS OPPORTUNITIES)
Musique Gourmet
Catering to the
Dlscrtminating Collector
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED
CLASSICAL MUSIC, OPERA,
BROADWAY, FILM SCORES &
TALKING BOOKS ON
COMPACT DISC
CD’S FROM $3.95
In the Fifthpearl Building
207 E. 5th Avenue
OPEN 7 DAYS Free Parking
343-9000
9B
rena TheatreI
Mar. 3- 6
\ ‘'('imill /><>;//>/<' /!///
//- /.3
<tyot
Tfa>>
“Maids*
/>,i/ ;/<■,/// Qenei „
DANCING @ DOC’S
WEDNESDAYS S SATURDAYS!
DANCE TO THE
GROOVES
OF
TECHNO * DISCO
ALTERNATIVE
HIP-HOP * TOP HO
E>x
O
C
s ^
Cocktail Research |
The Game Is On
At One \!
165 W. 11th
683-8101
SPRING BICYCLE SALE
40% OFF ‘97 RALEIGH
BICYCLES
20% OFF 1998
RALEIGHS
Free Stuff with
1999 models
Limited to stock on hand, when
they are gone,
PAUL’S BICYCLE WAY OF LIFE
2480 Alder <> 342-6155 152 W. 5,h o 344-4105
Learn inw I©
Save A Life
American Red Cross training in First Aid and Adult CPR
$15 Fee Includes
4 Hour Class • Instruction Booklet •
Certificate of Instruction
March.
9 Tue
5:00-9:00
First Aid
f • Health Center Cafeteria • $ 15.00
f • Current CPR card needed for American
f Red Cross First Aid Class
f
f§ Register Early 346-2770
f Sponsored by the Health Center Health Education Program f