University of Virginia Library

Gymnasium Crisis

Everyone remembers the signs placed by
some past Honor Committee on the locker
room walls of Memorial Gym - "Memorial
Gym is frequented by persons not bound by
the spirit of the Honor System, Safeguard
your valuables." The problem of outsiders
entering the gym and stealing the wallets and
watches of students and faculty members has
existed for some time. But in recent months it
has become far more prevalent, to the point
where action is being contemplated which
would close the gym to all but identifiable
University students.

In January alone, there were 17 reported
cases of wallet thefts. Gymnastics mats and
boxing bags have been slit open with knives.
Rifled vending machines are commonplace
occurrence, to the point where some of them
have been removed. Doors to various locker
rooms, storage rooms, and offices have been
jimmied or destroyed. Moreover, the influx of
youngsters has strained the capacity of an
already crowded gym. Students who come to
play basketball at night are often unable to do
so because the courts are taken up with the
Charlottesville kids who can't use the city's
outdoor facilities during the cold weather.

Most of the thefts could probably be
avoided if the University people who use the
gym would heed the warning of the Honor
Committee. The majority of the wallet thefts
occur when students leave their valuables in
the pockets of their street clothes and leave
their clothes hanging on a wall hook. Most of
the rest victimize those who leave their
lockers open when going to the shower. The
intramural cage will check valuables for
students during its open hours, and students
without lockers would be well-advised to use
this service; those who use the gym at night
should leave their valuables at home. Needless
to say, people with lockers ought to keep
them locked at all times.

But such elementary precautions will not
alleviate the problems of safety, vandalism and
overcrowding that seem to ensue from
unsupervised gymnasium entrances. As the
letter printer elsewhere on this page points
out, some kid is going to be hurt if allowed to
wander without supervision in the weight
rooms and along the running track. And the
University has to act to end the destruction of
its property and insure that students are able
to use its facilities.

Next year's gymnasium budget will include
a request for funds that would enable the
Gym to hire students to act as doormen,
checking identification at the door to make
sure that only students can enter the premises.
Such a system could be instituted immediately
if the money were available and perhaps an
arrangement with Mr. Shea, some sort of
Work-Study funding or a reappropriation of
existing Athletic Department and IM funds
will be realized. We hope so.

It seems a shame to exclude kids who just
want to get in out of the cold and play
basketball because of the crimes of a minority
of troublemakers. Though it is intended for
the use of the University, Memorial Gym is a
public facility. Ideally, the Gym's managers
might be able to work out a plan with the
Charlottesville recreation Commission to
make the facilities available for organized and
supervised play by the city's youngsters. This
goals must, however, remain secondary to the
necessity of making the Gym secure from
thieves and vandals.