Letters to the community

To the Wellesley College Community:

As the students responsible for spray-painting the Bacon Street bridge during the Fall 2010 semester, we would like to apologize for our destructive behavior. We did not think about the consequences that this would have on the residents near the bridge, nor did we think about how our actions would reflect poorly upon Wellesley College as an institution that prides itself on integrity.

We strongly regret our actions that night and are trying our best to help repair the damages. Although we can never truly undo what we did, we hope to set things right to the best of our abilities. Again, we are truly sorry.

Dear Wellesley Community,

You've probably heard about the treasures buried in the Tower kitchen that people seek as late night snacks after dining halls close down for the day. For years, Wellesley students living in the Tower complex and elsewhere on campus have been known to sneak into the kitchens to take cereal, fruits and drinks after dark. I mean, we're on an unlimited meal plan, so we've technically paid for it already, right?

So that's what I did one night with three of my friends—we walked into the tunnel in the basement of Tower and gently yanked open the door to the kitchens, since the locks were not very secure. We went in, and there were other students walking around the unlit dining hall. So far, it didn't feel like we were doing anything wrong. I took a plastic bowl, dispensed some cereal into it, and the next thing I know I couldn't find my friends. When  I called one of them, she picked up and told me to come outside because there were people waiting for us. I was caught off guard and had no idea what that meant: who was waiting for us? As I strolled out of the back door of the kitchen the way I came in, I noticed that the door was being held open by the RD of Tower. Oops.

The RD had us wait around while she called Campus Police. What had started out as a small adventure for a midnight snack had turned frightfully serious with the potential for consequences, something that I had never anticipated. After we were thoroughly questioned by the police, we were subject to an Honor Code hearing three weeks later.

Breaking into the dining halls had always seemed like a condoned practice among Wellesley students, and it appeared that the authorities didn't really seem to mind, since people were usually taking petty snacks whose disappearance would go unnoticed. This is not the case. We learned that Wellesley College Police have been aware of the break-ins for a while now but were unable to catch  students in time to do anything about it. Additionally, there was the disappearance of boxes of supplies from the back storage room, which the employees of the food company could not account for. Wellesley students usually don't intend to cause trouble or harm; the problem is that they did not fully understand that their actions could affect the jobs of the kitchen staff, and that breaking and entering is generally considered a felony.

I regret my decision to risk many things just for a bowl of cereal, and I hope that the rest of the Wellesley community can learn from my experience. Though some  may still be under the impression that doing what I did is harmless and that you will never be caught, to those people I urge you to reconsider.

Wellesley College News,

It was 11:00 PM on the night of November 23rd, 2010. I was hanging out with a couple friends in Severence Hall when we decided we were all hungry. We knew that many students had broken into the Tower Dining hall after closing time, and we thought that it was an "accepted" practice within the Wellesley College Community. This was our first time, and we hadn't heard any horror stories about students being caught. We did not have any worries or concerns.

We easily cranked open the door to the dining hall, only to discover a plethora of food. I have to admit that I did have this very eerie feeling in the pit of my stomach, because I knew that breaking into the dining hall after hours was morally wrong and I was hoping that we were not the only ones to get caught. This didn't stop me, though as I was hoping to get in and out quickly.

I ended up taking and eating one bagel. I did not take or touch anything else. I also remained in the kitchen area.

I was one of the last ones to leave the kitchen area, and when I got outside there was a police officer standing there with the rest of my accomplices. That pit in my stomach grew bigger and bigger and I knew we were in big trouble. I cooperated with the police officer and answered all questions truthfully and sincerely. I was so fearful of the extensive impact this could have on the rest of my Wellesley experience, my future career or my life.

Reflecting on the situation, I feel ashamed. Even though it may have been a popular thing to do amongst students, it is in no shape or form the right thing to do. I mean, I assisted in breaking into a forbidden area and violating the Honor Code. In the real world, the consequences could be as serious as possibly going to jail. I feel so lucky that we did not face as harsh as consequences, but I still have these weights on my shoulders just from that one night. It's not a good feeling, at all.

Dear Wellesley Community,

Sometimes, we do not realize how our actions may affect the community as a whole. One way I made this mistake was by a long standing "Wellesley Tradition" of going into the dining hall after hours.

One evening, my friends and I entered the Tower dining hall through the tunnels connecting Tower and Severance. We were hungry and bored and had decided to go for fun. Once we were inside, there were several Wellesley students already inside, none whom we know by name. In the dining hall, we took bagels and water bottles, things that seemed insubstantial in the grand scheme of things; however, looking back, multiplying that small amount by the possible large number of students that generally sneak into the dining hall each night with every night, this theft occurring, creates a huge deficit.