The Student Center has been vandalized several times over the last few months, according to Kent State officials.

The vandalism acts have varied from defacing chalkboards to ruining new pool tables, said Timeka L. Thomas Rashid, associate dean of students for the Kent Student Center and Center for Student Involvement.  

“Over the last several months, we’ve noticed a rash of vandalism,” she said. “That vandalism is every thing from written symbols that are popping up, or someone taking a knife and running it through a brand-new pool table.”

Rashid said these small incidents are adding up, as the Student Center is going though renovations.

“They are small but incremental changes, such as charging stations, new pool tables and the Nest display,” she said. “It’s those little things that were vandalized, that you walk past every day and don’t notice, but those little things are adding up in terms of dollars.”

Because the vandalism has taken place for the past several months, students have begun to notice.  One of those students is Nick Nwizu, a sophomore psychology major.   

“I eat lunch at the Student Center a good bit,” Nwizu said,  “I go to the study area down there [on the first floor] too to play pool every once in a while, and I’ve noticed changes to the pool tables because of what people have done to them. You wonder why people would do that.”

The vandals have not been identified, but Rashid said CSI and Kent State have been looking into it.  

“We’re taking some steps,” she said. “We realize that the building needs cameras, and we’re looking into that.  We have reported this, and we are working with [the] KSU Police Department.  They are alerted, and they are aware.”

Rashid said she and CSI are committed to making changes to the Student Center that will benefit the students.  

“The bigger message I want to send is that we are committed here in this building to continue to make changes for the students,” Rashid said. “We want the students to feel empowered that the vandalism needs to stop.”

Contact Drew Jones at [email protected].