Vandalism costs Penn $10,000

Students who plan to study in High Rise North's rooftop lounge during the next several weeks will be greeted with damage and repair work, thanks to vandals who attacked the lounge during Thanksgiving break. And repairs to the lounge could cost up to $10,000, according to University officials. An Allied security guard discovered a broken window and damaged furniture in the lounge Saturday night while making his regular rounds, Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone said yesterday. There are no suspects and no one has been apprehended in the incident. The case has been turned over to University Police, Simeone said. Several sofas and chairs had "deep gash marks" in their cushions, ruining the upholstery and the cushions themselves, Simeone said. Two tables were also damaged -- one had a missing leg and the other "looked like someone had jumped on it," Simeone added. The window replacement itself could cost anywhere from $3,500 to $8,000, depending on how the glass is installed, Residential Maintenance Associate Director Al Zuino said. Residential Maintenance officials have contacted a glass contractor, who has yet to determine whether the repair will be done from the interior or the exterior of the building, Zuino said. That decision will be made early next week. The missing window has been boarded up in the interim. Replacing and repairing the furniture could cost an additional $1,000 to $2,000. "It ended up being a very, very expensive proposition," Simeone said. The repairs -- especially those involving the window replacement -- could take several weeks to schedule, Zuino said. Simeone said the vandals were able to get away with ransacking the lounge because of the low occupancy during the Thanksgiving weekend. "One could probably make the assumption that this kind of thing might be more likely to happen when there were fewer people around," she added. "But we feel we need to leave the residences open to accommodate student need." Many students who live far away from the University stay on campus for the four-day break, so closing dorms is not a real option during the shorter vacations, Simeone explained. The possibility of closing facilities such as the rooftop lounges during vacations has been considered, but is not feasible physically or financially, Simeone said. "It is a shame for students here over break periods to have facilities closed off," she added. Increased patrolling is also not the solution, Simeone said. "We can't be in every place at every moment," she said. Although Simeone was quick to point out that the severity of this event is rare and extreme, she noted that the vandalism was only the most recent act in an ongoing problem. "I think it is a real sign of disrespect toward other students," she said. "It is extremely hard for me to comprehend what would drive someone to do something like this." Simeone urged anyone who has any information to contact their resident advisor or the Residential Living department.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.