An incident involving unauthorized access, theft, and destruction of property occurred within Clarity on Sept. 24 between 2 and 3:30 a.m. Clarity is a dining space on campus that provides entrées with meat and plant options free of eight common food allergens. As a result of the incident, Clarity closed for the rest of the weekend and the following Monday. 

Campus Safety sent an email to the student body providing information on the closure. The emails also directed students looking for other food options to the AVI Foodsystems website and asked for any information on the incident. 

“This type of behavior is disappointing and unacceptable in our community,” Campus Safety wrote in the email. “It also has a negative impact on members within the campus community, especially our dining staff, and the students who rely on this facility for their food service.”

Campus Safety responds to any criminal incidents, suspicious activity, requests for assistance, and emergencies on campus. Officers arrived at Clarity after someone reported the incident to Campus Safety.

“Campus Safety is always taking measures to improve security to ensure the safety and well-being of our community,” Anthony J. Traska, director of Campus Safety, wrote in an email to the Review. “While we cannot always guarantee safety, we are actively reviewing to determine what additional measures we can take to secure our facilities. We really depend on our partnership with the campus community to help maintain a safe campus. We encourage everyone to utilize the ‘See Something, Say Something’ philosophy. If something does not look right, we encourage everyone to call Campus Safety immediately.” 

While officers consistently patrol campus routes, dining halls have no extra precautionary measures to protect the space when staff is not there. Specifically, dining halls located in residence halls, such as Clarity, which is located in Fairchild House, allow students to go in and out of the space at all hours. 

“Security measures for dining halls are currently under review to determine if there are some opportunities to improve the security of these areas on campus,” Traska continued. “We do have 24-hour-a-day security with Campus Safety officers actively patrolling the campus and available to respond to calls on campus.”

The closure forced students on the dining plan with allergens to eat elsewhere over the weekend.

“Clarity provides a safe space for people with dietary restrictions,” College fourth-year Evyn Lundy, the former Student Senate food and dining liaison, said. “Lots of people go there because campus dining is inaccessible to people with allergies.” 

The incident at Clarity is an open and active investigation, and details on the case have not been made available to the public. Students should report any violation of campus policy to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.