Today, the fountain that fell victim to campus vandalism is up and running again. As Homecoming approaches, students get a bittersweet reminder of the reality of “what goes around, comes around.”
“That (fountain) was a gift from students to students and students defaced it,” said Kathy Fajt, administrative assistant to the dean of student services.
By Evan Reynolds, Senior Staff Writer
Today, the fountain that fell victim to campus vandalism is up and running again. As Homecoming approaches, students get a bittersweet reminder of the reality of “what goes around, comes around.”
“That (fountain) was a gift from students to students and students defaced it,” said Kathy Fajt, administrative assistant to the dean of student services.
Students in each class, as a matter of tradition, give a class gift to the University that becomes an integral part of the Seton Hill (SHU) landscape.
However, some years, for whatever reason, gifts become targets for actions of vandalism. The bright but weathered fountain can remind us who are still on campus, particularly the graduating seniors, that we are responsible for how the students behave on campus once we are gone.
“Every class leaves a mark,” said Carol Zola, administrative assistant to the president. “Everyone wants a nice place,” Zola said.
But, according to Zola, sometimes peer pressure, desire to “fit in” and impress peers causes us to do things that make us lose sight of how nice SHU really is. According to Zola, keeping a level head and just saying no to regrettable ideas is a “true test of character.”
“With everything changing the way it is, it’s hard to keep the traditions going,” Fajt said.
According to Bill Volkes, manager of maintenance and grounds, “Dr. Robin is doing an excellent job in preparing students for what our expectations are.”
“Most repairs are upkeep,” said Volkes. “Vandalism is something I don’t have scheduled. It puts the helpdesk behind.”
But there is only so much that faculty and staff can say before students must take the responsibility. Most people know the problems with doors and windows in residence halls, bathrooms with scribbles and class gifts getting destroyed.
But how much attention comes to each member of the baseball team that has dedicated 24 hours out of his college experience entirely to fix and beautify campus? Or the service work the field hockey team gave to fix up, clean and care for campus? Or the times when individual students refuse to let vandalism happen?
“The negative is more visible on campus,” Fajt said.
When B.F. Skinner wrote Walden II, he argued that punishment was the least effective shaper of good behavior. When we expose problems, we tend to only make people avoid getting caught doing the bad behaviors.
Rewarding the good behaviors automatically chokes out the bad behaviors, replacing them with sustainable good behaviors.
If we don’t want our class gifts that we all work hard to make happen meet the same fate as the fountain, the students of each class that get the same reputation as the small group of disrespectful students that do vandalize must take responsibility.
We need to reward the good behavior and support the people that want to maintain a beautiful campus and a good class reputation.