Vandal Policy Harsh, Thayer Residents Say

A week after administrators changed Thayer Hall's locks to keep out all non-residents, students in the dorm report no more incidents of vandalism, but some complain that the cure has proved worse that the disease.

"I think our privileges shouldn't be revoked any longer, now that we've cleaned up our act," said David A. Freedberg, a Thayer resident.

Vandals had fouled Thayer's bathrooms and hallways for several weeks until Assistant Dean of the Summer School Michael J. Prokopow announced a "no-guest policy" that barred all outsiders--even parents of the summer school residents.

The policy would stay in effect, Prokopow said, until the incidents stopped or the vandals were identified, "or preferably both."

Students have said that the policy punishes them for crimes of which they were the victims, not the perpetrators.

Thayer resident Nicole L. Eisner said someone took $20 cash and a bottle of glow paint from her unlocked room, then used the paint to vandalize the door of the room below her. Friedberg said that $18 was also taken from his room.

Neither student has reported the thefts to the police.

Since the new rules were enacted, residents with visiting friends and family said they have also suffered under the no-guests policy.

Thayer resident Eric D. Wong says he was unable to show his family his room last week during their visit from Hong Kong.

Another student said a friend had to cancel a planned visit from Texas since he would have had nowhere to stay in Cambridge.

Most students agree that Thayer has become a ghost dorm, with residents leaving to socialize elsewhere.

"You don't see any Thayer residents here," said Andrew M. Jaspers, a summer school student living in Thayer. "They're all at their friends.'"

Jaspers said he was unable to show his aunt his dorm on her visit last week, but otherwise has not been terribly inconvenienced by the restrictions.

Although the restrictions appear to have stopped the vandalism, they have also created a rift between Thayer residents and administrators, some students said.

Students said that in a dorm-wide meeting with Prokopow last Thursday, they were made to feel collectively responsible for the actions of a few individuals who may not even have been Thayer residents.

Students said Prokopow was rude and condescending, alienating residents who otherwise wanted strong action to end the vandalism.

"The net effect of that meeting was to divide the administration and the students," said William P. Madison, a Thayer resident.

Other students went even farther, calling Prokopow "the most hated man on campus."

Students said that they were attracted to the "college environment" advertised in the Summer School's brochures, but that they have not been afforded the same respect as college students would be in the same situation.

"The message the University gave us before we came and the experience we have had since we arrived have been totally different," Madison said. "It's been totally hypocritical.

Students said that in a dorm-wide meeting with Prokopow last Thursday, they were made to feel collectively responsible for the actions of a few individuals who may not even have been Thayer residents.

Students said Prokopow was rude and condescending, alienating residents who otherwise wanted strong action to end the vandalism.

"The net effect of that meeting was to divide the administration and the students," said William P. Madison, a Thayer resident.

Other students went even farther, calling Prokopow "the most hated man on campus."

Students said that they were attracted to the "college environment" advertised in the Summer School's brochures, but that they have not been afforded the same respect as college students would be in the same situation.

"The message the University gave us before we came and the experience we have had since we arrived have been totally different," Madison said. "It's been totally hypocritical.