On Saturday, a keg was left unattended inside my closed-in porch while my friends and I were at The Grape. This otherwise typical two-hour outing ended when we returned to our house and realized that our keg had been stolen.
We all know that theft happens everywhere, and students understand that the “bubble” that surrounds Fairfield isn’t made of steel. Earlier this year, laptops were stolen from a beach house on the Point – the most recent example of theft at the beach that forced students to be more aware of their surroundings and protective of their belongings.
Yet, in spite of past thieveries from student residences, I never thought I couldn’t trust my neighbors at the Point – fellow students, many of them my friends.
It’s highly unlikely that Richard Rosario, who burglarized multiple student residences (on campus) back in 2005, or the laptop thief of earlier this year, came to the Point this weekend looking for beer and walked out with a full keg.
I thought about calling the police, but figured they would laugh in my face when asked to investigate a missing keg, even if beer is the equivalent of gold to college students.
It’s a serious buzz kill to lead an enthusiastic crowd back to your house for a party, only to find no party favors. It’s an even bigger disappointment that Fairfield students would take a full keg from another student’s house. Who does that?
I always welcome people into my house, but it’s too bad that inviting people to your home results in theft. I feel free to walk into other houses just to say “what up” and that’s the beauty of the student-beach community: everyone’s doors are open to each other, there’s always a grill to use if yours is broken and the kind residents next door will offer their shower when the hot water goes out.
Sorry, but walking into your neighbor’s house and walking out with a full, untapped keg is not part of being a friendly and courteous member of the community.
Most students are polite, respectful of others and out to have a good time. But, unfortunately, not every student is trustworthy. Maybe I expect too much common courtesy from my neighbors.
Call me na’ve, but I trust my neighbors and hate to think that someone I consider a friend stole from me.
Losing a keg is not the end of the world and not the most disheartening aspect of this crime. It’s the fact that the students living in the tight-knit community at the Point cannot feel safe among their friends and neighbors because of stealing incidents.
Although I am angry someone put an end to my partying on Saturday night, I am more disappointed that the Golden Rule has been forgotten and students feel free to take what they want from others.
There’s no point in crying rivers over stolen beer, but there’s also no sense in taking what isn’t yours, from a stranger or from next door. Since when did spreading the word about a party mean there’s a keg lying around for the taking?
My doors are always open to people looking to socialize, but it is completely unnecessary and disrespectful to steal.
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