News Staff Writer
It is amazing the amount of trust we place in the community every day. We leave our backpacks around campus, our lockers and dorm rooms unlocked, and our valuables in the care of friends and roommates. Our trust and interdependence is something that sets us apart from other institutions. However, recent events suggest that some members of the community have actually begun taking advantage of that trust and acting in their own self-interest.If you visit almost any college, you will find the buildings more secure than many governmental facilities. Entry into a building requires an ID, keycard, combination, and/or key, usually under the watch of an armed security guard. While some of these precautions can be attributed to the surrounding area (for example, it is necessary the New York University take measures to protect its students), much of it reflects the lack of trust that colleges have in student integrity.Choate students live in an environment that thrives on trust. We trust our friends and our teachers our secrets and our possessions. Dorm doors are left unlocked and open to anyone from tour guides to tired day students, with valuables often in plain sight. We don’t feel the need to safeguard our belongings because we are confident (and maybe a little naïve) that no one would steal from a fellow student. But assuming the best in people can often leave one vulnerable to theft.I realize that stealing is inevitable in an environment as close as Choate, but I could never have imagined the scale to which it has been occurring. It is not just small sums of cash or insignificant items that have been lifted from rooms or lockers, but large amounts of cash and even valuable electronics. In some cases the crimes have been surprisingly well-planned and executed. Money has been taken in the two minutes it takes to walk across the hall and go to the bathroom, or a computer stolen from an empty classroom in the afternoon when the teacher was a floor below. This is so scary because it means that there is someone who is so desperate enough to risk expulsion in order to get money.What I find the most frightening is that it could be anyone. If money is stolen from your dorm room, it most likely means that someone you are living with, perhaps even a friend, has been violating your trust. Why would anyone do this to a friend or dorm-mate? Recently one of my friends had a large sum of cash stolen from her unlocked room while she was out of the dorm. She has left her room unlocked since sophomore year without incident and was shocked that someone entered her empty room, looked for her wallet, and withdrew $100 in cash from it. When I asked her how she felt about it, she said, “It’s terrible to live in a place where you always have to lock your door, even if you’re just going to the bathroom. And I always lose my key so that’s why I never lock it.”Choate values its hospitality and the respect that everyone has for each other, yet if these thefts continue, desperate measures would have to be taken. Could you imagine what it would be like to live in a dorm where the doors locked every time you closed them? I have lived in a dorm like this and it resulted in many climbs through my window. Or how about a teacher who can’t leave his or her computer on her desk without the door being locked, for fear that some student may walk past and steal it? A loss in trust in the community would have devastating results.Something must be done. First of all, students should take some precautions and lock their doors whenever they plan on being absent for a prolonged period of time. I know it is a hassle, but I believe it is worth the $100 that could be sitting in your unprotected wallet. Also, people need to realize that if they have a problem, they should talk to a friend. If you are desperate for money, talk to someone; I guarantee that they will help you. It’s much less painful for everyone than stealing money and compromising your friendships and your future. Only when we respect the trust that we place in each other can we attain a truly healthy community.
