In the early hours of February 24, Quinton Wunder ‘19 entered his room in Gregory Hall to find his comforter and clothing covered in bleach.
According to the Lake Forest College Daily Crime Log, the incident was reported as a “damage to property—criminal/vandalism” at 2:26 a.m. that morning. The disposition states the case is closed, pending additional information.
Wunder did not know who was behind the incident; however, he and his roommates speculate that it might have something to do with the Trump flag that hangs in their window.
“We had the Trump flag for a while now, even before the article regarding the flag in Moore was reported in the Stentor [on February 14],” said Wunder, adding that he and his roommates are conservative with their political views and keep to themselves.
Madison Martell ’18, the Residence Assistant on duty during the time of the incident, offered no comment, citing the responsibility to keep her residents’ business confidential.
Wunder threw away nine articles of clothing after discovering the bleach stains. Out of the four people residing in the quad, Wunder was the only person with noticeable damages. His bed was the only one in the front room, where the vandalism occurred.
Vito Aluia ’19, who has lived in Gregory Hall for two years, explained an issue with the front doors that lead to the lobby. He said, “I know people have been known to rip it open. The door isn’t reliable in a sense that anyone can just pull it open.” Although Wunder’s room was unlocked, the security concerns in Gregory Hall suggest that the culprit could have been anyone, not just a Gregory Hall resident.
In an email, Director of Public Safety Richard Cohen wrote, “In response to your inquiry regarding Case #17-00074, I regret that I cannot provide [a]response to your specific questions, for reasons of confidentiality, beyond what appears in the daily crime log.”
Frances Williams, department assistant of Facilities Management, was not aware of the problem with the front door of Gregory Hall. She stated that as of Feb. 28, no requests had been made from Public Safety or the Office of Residence Life to make a repair.
In the meantime, Wunder and his roommates will begin to lock their door and hope that an incident like this does not happen again.
