Friday. March 1, lm SCARLET AND BLACK lug. Five } Theft Continued from Page 1 another male Student Shopliited frequent- ly from the Bookstore last year, and en- gaged in ”sort of an understood game to see who could steal the most and in the neatest way." The girl said that steal- ing from the Bookstore and dimng halls is “fun,” and added that she steals books for other students at their request. she explained diat she feels no guilt about stealing from "rich people and institu« tions," but that she wouldn't steal from “another student or a very small busi‘ nessmn.” The girl claimed that she also shoplifts from stores in downtown Grinnell, and that her contempt lor‘ the private property concept is in part responsible for her actions. Throughout the interview she spoke cheerlully, but her mood became less jovial when she noted that she is sometimes apprehen— sive about being caught in the act of stealing. Another male student who was inter- viewed conlldentially disclosed a method by which he steals several gallons or milk a week from SAGA Food Service without it being missed. “SAGA screws me by making me pay ior meals I don’t eat, so I don't care about Stealing from them. Besides, most of the milk is for my Cat, and I can't afford to buy it,” he explained. He said that he also steals clothes from the Athletic Department and contended that “most of the other jocks do, too." He added that he ieels no guilt about stealing from SAGA or the College because “with institutions the loss is so spread out." A different student shoplifter comment- ed that "the Bookstore makes big pro- fits and screws students.” He said that he once went into the Bookstore with five dollars to buy a paperback text- book, but the eleven dollar price so out- raged him that he stole the book instead. some students use special coats to make shop"ing from the Bookstore easier than it already is. One boy has a special trencheoat with large pockets that can easily hold books. Another student has made a slit in the lining of his winter coat to form a concealed packet which facilitates shoplirting large merchandise from the Bookstore. It is impossible to ascertaln exactly how much the College Bookstore loses annually us a result bi theft. Treasuicr Lamlbie noted that “losses from the Bookstore are consistent.” and cited ciga- reties and candy as the items which weve particularly vulnerable to theit. Samuel Wassom, manager at the College Book» store, said he realizes that there is “some ' student theft,” but he doesn’t think “a great portion" of studenis steal from the store. Wassom said that inventories of the Bookstore taken at the end of each fis- cal year always show “some shrinkage," but pointed out that some 01 that “shrinlb age" could be attributed to mark-downs and sales during the year. He reinsed to say how much “shrinkage" the Boole store usually Sutlers. Asked to estimate roughly the store's losses due to sh0p< lifting, Wassom said that he couldn't. but he noted that variety stores in dowfk town Grinnell estimate their loss at about two percent. Wassom pointed out that when the Bookstore was relocated in Carnegie basement in 1960 several steps were talk in to prevent shoplifting from the store, including the installation or mirrors and turnstyles “to force people leaving the store to pass by the cashiers," ln addi~ tion, students who enter the Bookstore are asked to leave books and other per- sonal belongings on a shelf near the door. “We Watch and try to be alert," Wassum added. No students have been caught shoplift- ing recently in the Bookstore, according to Wassorn. Asked what actions are tak- en when a student is caught stealing an item, he replied, “I get them to pay for it." Library Books — ‘Serious Problem' Theft of books from Burling Library Constltutes “a serious problem” which is “very hard to guard against," ae hid lilllll linen: 'I. That Ahrv has the only Pizza available on Tuesday nights? 2. Thai Ahrv specializes in 20 minute, piping—hotdeliveryWednesdaylhrough Monday. 3. That Ahrv tries els hard as he can to give 20 minute delivery on Tuesdays, ’roo. BUT SOMETIMES WE GET BEHIND. ISN'T lT WORTH WAITING FOR US JUST A LITTLE ON TUESDAYS? YOU KNOW IT IS! Add VAN@'§ PHZZA TOM 8r BETTE GARBISON 23646222 cording to College Librarian Henry AL den, although he doesn't like to refer to students as ”thievfi." He estimated that the Library loses “thousands 01 volume: a year,” Alden recalled that guesswork follow- ing an inventory six years ago indicated that the Library lost soon a year in stolen books, and he pointed out that book prices have nearly doubled since then. The Library has abandoned the policy or yearly inventories for economic reasons, but the staff continues to make spot-checks occasionally. if Alden is correct, the problem shows no signs of disappearing. For example. he said, the Library acquired the very expensive Encyclopedia or Social Science just six weeks ago, and already three volumes are missing. He pointed out that the “taking" 01 reference books by Stu- dents is unnecessary, because when a special request is made. they can often be checked out. “Many books disappear and come back, Alden continued, “but others don't.” He thinks that many students “borrow" books but either carelessly or deliberately tail to Check them out, mak- ing it impossible to locate the books when another student requests the same ones. He believes that “only a small number of students actually steal books from the Library,” although “occasionally a stu- dent deliberately takes a book to pre- vent another student with whom he is competing ior grades lrom using it." Alden said the Student Government Association launched an active campaign to cut down lib rat ry theft five years ago. He said it entailed discussing the problem in house meetings and pro- viding boxes for the return of all books at the end of the semester. ”It's more a matter or depending upon a student’s sense of responsibility to his fellow stu< dents than on his responsibility to the College" Alden believes GLASSES Made and Repaired in Our Laboratory Contact Lenses Cases and Solutions Eyes Examined Phone 236-3979 E. l. Jensen, on. OPTOMETRIST Across from Post Office closed Thurs. PM. and Sat. PM. He said that it costs nearly five dol- lars to order and process a book be- {are it goes on the Library's shelves, in addition to the book's cost. “But it's not only ihe money." he elaborated. “Many books in the library are out of print and irreplacable when they are stolen." Alden sees no way oi preventing theft {rpm the Library except to appeal to the siudents' sense of conscience. “It's not the runction or a library to provide mounted guards to frisk people," he asserted, and pointed out that techniques such as turnstyles and magnetic detec- iion devices to prevent library theft are very expensive and easily foiled by sni- dents who want to steal books. The Lie brary's most Valuable books, which are mainly early publications or the College, are kept locked in a vault in Burling basement to prevent their theft or dear ti-uction. One of the most daring thefts at Grin- hell in reoent years was the purlaining of the President’s Medallion from it: showcase in Burling last year during the middle of the night. The Medallion was recovered several days later in the Li- brary, and its disappearance was attri- buted to student pranksters who had hid- den in the building until after closmg timer Alden observed that the Medallion should never have been on display in Burling (“This isn’t a museuml”), and speculated that ihe theft probably in— fluenced the decision to remove the display permanently. SAGA Suffers “There are also severe losses from students tak'ng silverware from the dining halls according to Treasurer Lamble. Missing silverware had to be replaced twice last year at a cost or between five and Six hundred dollars. Clarence “Saga Chuck" Hand, Food Sere vice Director. said that silverware, salt- shakers, ashtrnys and dishes must be replaced often because so many students take them from dining halls. Hand said that the students eventually have to pay for the stolen articles through increased board lees. Hand explained that he is periectly willing to lend surplus utensils to students who ask to borrow them. THEFT— cimdnued on Page 1, Column 1 TASTY PASTRY Bakery Goods 263-4385 923 Broad What's New Town lino flouniry Leather Bags from Spain and [homes 2020 4th Ave. open 9:33 . 5:30