Students living in Castleton Residence Hall were once asked to keep their doors open in order to foster a closer community, but after a recent night of burglaries, students were urged to lock their doors.Students awoke on Friday to find items ranging from cameras and Playstations to bass guitars and snowboards missing from their rooms. From various reports from students living in those suites, the time of the burglary is thought to be between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., according to Laura Olson, a Community Advisor (CA) in Castleton.

Darkness surrounded the back staircase near the four burglarized suites because the breaker to the lights was thought to be tripped, Olson said.

“I know that public safety is dealing with certain aspects and they contacted Rutland police, but a lot is put to the residents to look for suspicious behavior,” Olson said.

Most of a collection of videogames, Playstations, and musical basses that formerly dotted the common room of Castleton 203 was stolen. The suite was left with essentially its television and a pair of padded club hockey pants that had been taken out of an also missing hockey bag.

“Even if someone took only one guitar, it stings deep inside,” said Steve Vowder explaining that he brought his guitar in from the common room before going to bed that night, but his Playstation and videogames were missing.

The burglar went into rooms that were open or unlocked, but they also broke a lock to gain access to suite 204, students said. The burglar is suspected to have entered or at least opened the door where Heather Donahue and her roommate Sarah Gayle were sleeping.

“I’m creeped out, totally,” Donahue said shrugging, thankful that her computer was left behind along with her television.

The locks were changed Saturday morning to prevent any further burglaries, however, Vowder does not plan on changing his habit of keeping the door open.

“Personally, it’s not going to stop me from making my space as welcoming as possible,” he said, stating that college is partly about hanging out with friends and locked doors would deter people from getting inside.