Barto, Vandalism and Fizz
Multiple instances of vandalism and instances of student crime were reported in the Barto dorms, prompting a mandatory meeting that subsequently went viral on the student-only social media app Fizz.
A Fizz poster who shared an image with the caption “Oh brother” garnered over 1.6k likes after the image, which is a screenshot of an email sent to all Barto residents, made it onto the trending tab.
In the screenshot, Barto residents were informed that, “There have been several events over the past week that have negatively impacted the Barto community. This
behavior takes away from the positive, friendly, and respectful aspects that are the hallmark of the resident hall living environment.” The email goes on to detail a serie
s of mandatory meetings for all Barto residents, stating to the residents, “you must attend one of the following Mandatory Meetings.”
In contrast to the tone of the email, Executive Director of Housing and Residence Life Tricia Rabel shared that the meetings were purely “to discuss some of the positive community building occurring in the hall as well as brainstorm ways the students could improve the community.”
“It is common for residence halls to have a variety of community meetings at the beginning of a term. These help residents meet their neighbors, know what to expect, and clarify community expectations,” Rabel stated. “The Barto community has embraced how they want to engage with each other and several noted the highlights of the hall: how welcoming folks are, how easy it is to meet others, that they can talk to their neighbors, their commitment to building a vibrant Residence Hall Leadership Council and the activities they have enjoyed the most, including pool tournaments, door decoration making and karaoke nights.”
In another viral Fizz post with over 1.7k likes, one anonymous student reposted the original screenshot of the email with the caption, “It’s cuz two girls decided to cat fight, someone drew dicks on the whiteboards, a girl got alcohol poisoning, then someone stole the whiteboard markers and pool chalk.” A second viral repost with over 1.6k likes shared their own reason, stating, “Shout out to the guys on the third floor who decided to come up to the fourth floor and try to kick in my neighbor’s door. Lock in y’all are adults.”
Rabel stated however that what is happening in Barto is not a completely unique series of events. “Several residence halls have seen some low-lying vandalism and disruptive behavior. It’s helpful when residents share with us how incidents that seem like harmless pranks affect other community members,” Rabel stated. “Our students have been very receptive to this propos
ed reporting structure.”
Students who witness or would like to report any instances of vandalism or other on campus crime are encouraged to either talk it out with their residence hall neighbors, or call an RA if needed, according to Rabel. “Students who are concerned about something happening in their community are encouraged to confront their neighbors if they feel comfortable doing so, or call an RA for assistance,” Rabel stated.
The Crime Report
The CWU Annual Security and Fire Safety report was released detailing all the latest reported crime and fire data from the 2024 academic year.
The largest changes in the crime report, which details data ranging from 2022 through 2024, was that of the number of reported instances of “campus” rape. In 2022, three rapes were reported, with the numbering reported in 2024 having risen to seven.
In discussing the increase in reported instances of “campus” rape, CWU Police Chief Eric Twaites stated, “Historically, sexual assaults and stalking are underreported nationally. At CWU, I would like to believe most serious incidents are reported, in part because of our outreach efforts and relationships with our community. Our officers have tried to create a culture of trust so that when an incident occurs, people feel comfortable with CWU PD and are more willing to report incidents.”
Instances of reported “campus” stalking also rose from nine reports in 2022, to 12 in 2024. Notably however, reported instances of Burglary, Liquor Violation Referrals, and Drug Violation Referrals have all decreased since the data collection in the past two years. Burglary from six in 2022 to three in 2024, Liquor Violation Referrals from 82 in 2023, to 57 in 2024 and Drug Violation dropping from 28 in 2023, to only 11 in 2024.
Twaites credited the CWU Police forces’ hard work as a main contributor in the decrease of these reported instances. “I would like to believe that CWU PD’s continued efforts in community engagement with first-year students, through programs, crime prevention programming, being present and a part of the community are having a positive impact,” Twaites said. “Liquor and drug violation referrals are reported and documented through housing staff, so I cannot comment on what housing staff are seeing.”
