Minor theft is a continuing problem in dorms, with two reports of theft in Nelson so far this year.

Amy McLaughlin-Sheasby, area coordinator in Residence Life, said theft is a growing problem in the dorms, especially in Nelson Hall.

“Usually, clothing is stolen from laundry rooms or jewelry is stolen when found lying on the ground,” Sheasby said. “On a few occasions, it appears that items have been stolen out of peoples’ rooms.”

Current reports list of money as being stolen, as well as an iPod.

Sheasby said many of the girls like to think of the dorm as one big family, but this is not the case. Love and respect for other residents is encouraged but students should not assume theft cannot happen.

“We have keys for our dorm rooms to protect our belongings,” she said. “As the area coordinator of Nelson and McDonald, I have told my RA’s to begin mandating locked doors.”

There ways to protect belongings in rooms that are not secure, such as laundry rooms, including not leaving items unattended.

“The best advice I can offer to people who want to protect their clothing is to keep a close eye on your clothing,” Sheasby said. “Set timers for when your laundry will be done so that it’s not left sitting unwatched for long periods of time.”

Sheasby said there are suspects in the current cases, but no major leads.

However, it is important that students do not rely on staff or resident assistants to protect their belongings. She said part of growing up is being responsible for our belongings.

“We can choose to protect whatever things we have, or we can experience the heartache of having something special or valuable taken from us.”