Luther is no stranger to vandalism or false fire alarms, especially in Dieseth and Brandt halls. Year after year, students have been rudely awakened at all hours of the night by fire alarms and have had to deal with smashed doors and broken furnishings. But despite their frequency, these events still stir controversy.

“The main problem in Dieseth is vandalism,” said Margit Severson (‘08), a resident of “Dirty D.” “Just this year, there was a fire extinguisher used on fifth floor and a smashed front door.”

The culprits of these crimes are usually assumed to be drunk students coming home late from bars in town, but they are rarely caught.

Lars-Erik Larson (‘10), another resident of Dieseth, explained a particularly disgusting instance for which no one has been found accountable.

“Recently, I think last weekend, a dead squirrel was found in the elevator,” said Larson.

Though Dieseth is the dorm most people would associate with vandalism, it is not the only one that has had problems with it.

Brandt Hall Director Rosa Pinea explained that the first floor lounge in the first-year dorm was found in shambles one morning this year. Among other things, a $600 ping-pong table was destroyed.

Chuck Leierer, Farwell/Baker area coordinator, explained that vandalism is dealt with on an individual basis.

“It’s [dealt with by] restitution,” said Leierer. “They have to pay for what they break and then do some community service or educational activity, depending on the situation.”

Along with these cases, there have been a number of fire alarms pulled this year in Dieseth and Brandt. Brandt alone has had six this year, including three that occurred in the span of 24 hours.

According to the Student Handbook, the policy for dealing with false fire alarms is to fine the culprits $150. If the individuals who pulled the alarm on these occasions cannot be found, the entire dormitory is fined $500 each time.

“For me, the main frustration is that all of these things happen and the whole building gets fined because no one ever confesses,” said Larson.

Though students are frustrated about getting fines for things they did not have anything to do with, some wonder if these consequences are enough considering how often the vandalism occurs.

One of the greatest concerns regarding this issue is the inflation of these instances and the effect it has on residents.

“The more [fire alarm] pulls we have, the fewer number of people leave,” said Pinea. “That is our biggest issue. My fear is that someday we’ll have a real fire and students won’t exit the building.”

A Facebook group entitled “Let Me Sleep . . . I’d Rather Burn Alive,” which many Luther students are a part of, is a testament to this concern.

“I understand that they have to take every fire alarm seriously,” said Will Layton (‘11), a resident of Brandt. “But it’s a little ridiculous when it’s the second one in an hour.”

Though Brandt has had the most problems with fire alarms this year, it also has the most advanced system, with loudspeakers in every room that announce an emergency in a human voice. None of the other dorms have this system yet, though Facilities Management is in the process of upgrading them all.

All the buildings on campus are up to fire code. However, it has been reported that a fire alarm, which went off in Farewell over J-term, went unheard by many residents of the hall. This could be because the alarms are all out in the halls and separated from students by doors — the doors to clusters as well as to rooms.

Whether it is vandalism or fire alarms, the dormitories at Luther continue to have problems as Luther attempts to address these issues effectively.