Lock ups due to vandals

For the past few weeks, BVU administration has come to the realization that the Social Sciences and Arts building (SSA) is not being utilized for its purpose: an academic building. There have been many cases of items stolen and beer cans left throughout the building. Therefore, as of Mar. 5, the Social Science and Arts building will close at 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

“We have gathered enough information that suggests that there is a lot of traffic going on with those waiting for the RIDES bus on the weekend. Some signs have been either stolen or vandalized and this behavior needs to stop,” Director of Campus Security Mark Kirkholm said.

Although the building will be closing earlier than it usually does, those students who need to work on projects in the building will still be allowed to do so. To access the building after 10 p.m. on Friday or Saturday nights, students will need to contact Campus Security to open the doors.

The main reason of locking the SSA doors is to avoid the traffic caused by those individuals who use the exterior doors to catch the bus and to go to the bars on Friday and Saturday nights. The studio doors in the SSA building for the most part will remain unlocked, since the main problem is caused by those who use the outside doors.

The SSA building houses and displays many art pieces throughout the facility. The building exists not only as an academic building but “also to create a beautiful environment that we can be proud of. Hence we purchase very well-known, quality artwork and put it throughout spaces so that the BV and Storm Lake community can also be a part of it,” Assistant Professor of Art, Mary Mello-Nee said.

Along with stolen art items, Campus Security found beer cans left on top of art work. Students are expected to take advantage and enjoy the art pieces instead of defacing them.

“To have students walk in and show such disrespect for something they may not understand contradicts with the image we are trying to portray here at BV. It really bothers me when students come and deface something they don’t own or even put a beer on an artwork which someone put an effort in creating. It is an ultimate slap in the face,” says Mello-Nee.