During Christmas Break this year, someone with a key opened Professor DeYoung's office door and walked away with a valuable soprano saxophone. The instrument was replaced, but at the end of February, someone -- again with a key -- opened the door and stole the second saxophone.

One Wednesday evening while Professor Ehlers was teaching class, someone took the time to remove all the screws that held his office window in place.

The intruder reached in, opened the door from the inside, and departed with the department's petty cash box, the professor's hat, and his dinner.

``Jaunt'' (a sculpture that stands between the College Center and the Science Building) is the victim of an annual (at least) kidnapping attempt. Last year the piece disappeared for three days before the humility students were caught. This year the vandals got away, but not before the sculpture and its mounting had been damaged. Professor Jensen is making repairs--again.

The walls of the second floor of the FAC are really an art gallery, but they will no longer be used to display anything of value. Too many paintings and photographs have disappeared.

At last month's faculty meeting, enough professors were concerned about the problem of theft and vandalism at Calvin to request a report on the matter from Student Affairs and the Security Division.

At last Monday night's college assembly, Bob Doornbos, Security Office, announced that more than 100 thefts have been reported this year and that over $15,000 worth of money and belongings have been stolen.

That figure is higher than last year's. Destruction of college property has occurred a reported thirteen times.

Who is responsible for crime at Calvin? The professors who described these specific crimes at Calvin seemed reluctant to place the blame solely on students.

``The college is wide-open,'' John Worst pointed out, ``no gates, no fences. Anyone coming through has as easy an access to the building as do students and professors.''

Doornbos also reported that a thief breaking into cars, and two vandals who were riding over lawns, were caught and found to be outsiders.

And yet, petty theft from dorms and the use of stolen keys seems to suggest that students are also involved, said Doornbos, ``I can't say our students are completely innocent.''

``My assumption,'' stated Professor Ehlers, ``is that there are few thieves on campus--an extreme minority who are either emotionally sick or have a gross misunderstanding of what it means to be a Christian.''

Admittedly, crime at Calvin is not as prevalent as it is elsewhere. As Professor Ehlers pointed out, theft at Calvin is minimal in comparison to theft at larger state universities. Nor is the problem, according Doornbos, increasing in any significant way.

But in spite of those rather generous views, unlocked lockers in the PE building, master keys in the FAC, and the Kipp sculpture on the front lawn have become the targets of thieves and vandals--apparently Calvin student--with disconcerting regularity.

So what do we do? More security people?

A few more patrols would not do much to check crime at Calvin, said John Timmer, also of Security. He went on to add that ``effort at more coverage during vacations and in parking lots is being made.''

Certain rooms in each building are being set aside for valuables, and access to those rooms is being carefully monitored.

Chaplain Pekelder has encouraged the Student Conduct Committee to review the existing penalties for students caught stealing or destroying property. Under the present system, a student may choose to have his case reviewed by either the All Campus Discipline Committee of the Dean of Men or Dean of Women. No specific penalties are spelled out in the Students Handbook.

According to Pekelder, this omission is deliberate, although he added that ``we ought to spell out some very clear guidelines.''

Restitution, probation, and in come cases expulsion are the punishments usually meted out, always in light of the severity and frequency of the student's misconduct.

Some members of the faculty, Jensen among them, believe that punishments have been too lenient.

``Punishment must reflect the seriousness of the prank,'' he said. ``Leniency in cases of vandalism has not really deterred the pranks.''

What professors and administrators alike emphasized, though, was a need for a change in the attitude of the Calvin community toward the stealing and destruction of property.

Professor Worst suggested that ``we alert the whole campus community to be on the lookout. Neighborhoods in Grand Rapids have banded together to keep a watch out for crime.

Students, janitors, professors, and others should form some sort of watchdog patrol and report suspicious people.''

The problem can be avoided if members of the community are made aware of the problem and are not afraid to report any students they see doing something wrong, he said.

Professor Ehlers agreed: ``This sort of crime can only be stopped by everyone's developing an eyeopen to it.''

Chaplain Pekelder summed it up: ``We need to develop a community sense of the rights of people and some respect for the property of people and for Christian ethics. Theft from the Bookstore and SAGA reflect a lack of moral sense and Christian ethics.''

It reflects a lack of common sense, too, it seems.

``Students pay for every dollar of theft of damage. It's not just hurting the `big college,''' he said.

A Calvin student who defines himself as ``not a Christian--a skeptic,'' once remarked that he was glad that not everyone at Calvin was equally skeptical toward Christian teachings.

``After all,'' he said, ``you can leave your wallet lying on a table and come back in a half an hour and it will still be there.''

But could you really?