I don’t know where to attribute people’s disrespect for others’ property. Sometimes I feel like we learn so many life lessons in such a short time when we are toddlers that go in one ear and out the other. Or maybe it’s an inherent characteristic for people to not care about things that don’t belong to them because they don’t appreciate its value.     

Well, I don’t know the psychological reasoning for this problem, but I do know one thing; people need to start learning to respect other people’s property, especially St. Thomas property.

When returning to campus this fall, I couldn’t help but notice the uncared for condition of my Flynn suite. There are deep gashes marking the walls, large chips in the paint that expose a completely different color than the beige walls, drill holes above the windows and black ink marks covering the carpet.

It took awhile, but my roommate and I finally put up enough posters and rugs to hide all the eyesores.

The disrespect of property is a problem on all campuses. While sometimes it can be funny, it is still disrespectful to do things like write on desks, walls and anywhere ink will take to.

My friend was sitting at a desk the other day and came across the tasteful message,“Life can be beautiful” inscribed on it. While this is an uplifting and positive message, it should still not be written on a desk. What was a little less tasteful, however, was the message inscribed underneath: “Hood Rats 4 Lyfe.”

I’m not claiming to be perfect. I do my share of wrongdoings and make plenty of mistakes, but I have respect for and take pride in the condition of the room that St. Thomas provides me with. But whoever occupied this room before me must be on a different wavelength and so is the St. Thomas Residence Life Handbook because the condition of my room is pretty unacceptable on all accounts.

There are specific guidelines laid out in the handbook that speak against using screws and nails to hang items or affix furnishings to the walls. It promotes using double sided-tape so removing paint with the tape at the end of the year doesn’t become an issue.

The handbook also says that residents will be billed for holes, tape residue and any damage their decorating causes. Residents are not allowed to attempt to repair any damages.

I think a simple solution to this respect of property problem would be to treat St. Thomas property, and everyone else’s for that matter, like your own. Paying upwards of $6,000 each year for on-campus housing on top of our other tuition fees should create almost a sense of ownership for the property on campus. Wrecking St. Thomas property is as hurtful as wrecking your own. So take pride in our campus and all the property on it because countless others will use it after you.

Briggs LeSavage can be reached at lesa4364@stthomas.edu.