Feces Smeared Inside Quincy Hallways

Feces and urine found at several locations in Quincy House over Thanksgiving Break elicited strong reaction from house Master Michael Shinagel in a letter distributed to students yesterday.

House tutors Margie Chebotariov and Robin Wagner were returning from walking their dog at 9 a.m. Friday when they discovered the vandalism.

The tutors found urine inside the south entrance of New Quincy, a discarded pair of men's briefs smeared with feces on the second floor and more feces at the fire door on the third floor, according to the letter.

Later Friday, more feces were found on the fifth floor landing and a pair of trousers soiled with feces was found in a washing machine in the sixth floor laundry room.

The incidents of this weekend were not isolated, according to the letter.

Vomit

Two or three weekends ago vomit was found on the third floor.

The letter said the incidents were "an outrage to our sense of community and our concern for each other's welfare and well-being."

"I appeal to each of you to remember that we are a close community, that we care for each other's health and safety, and that we uphold a standard of living that does not offend others," Shinagel wrote in the letter.

Some students interviewed did not believe one of their housemates was capable of such vandalism.

"I doubt someone in Quincy did it," said Quincy resident Jimmy C. Yu '94, who stayed at Harvard over Thanksgiving break.

"There have been a lot of people in and out of the building--people staying for Thanksgiving," Yu said.

But others reacted differently. "It was just some random jerk," said Jennifer K. Fehser '95. "I bet it was a Quincy resident."

Joseph B. Nadol '95, who stayed in Quincy House over Thanksgiving, said that Wagner and Chebotariov questioned him about the incident. "They asked me if I had come back from partying around 5 a.m.," he said. "I guess they were suspicious."

Several Quincy students joked about the incident.

"He did it," said one Quincy resident, pointing to a friend.

Another said, "it must have been an Adams House resident."

Another blamed it on the tutors' dog.

Wagner, Quincy House Senior Tutor Rory Browne, and Shinagel would not comment on the incident.