We should be ashamed of ourselves. It is pathetic. Last week, for no apparent reason, someone stole three clubs' publicity banners from the third floor railing in the Shapiro Campus Center. Banners belonging to the Brandeis Student Union, WBRS and BTV were found missing on Monday night. The thief is still at large. We would like to believe that he or she who pilfered the plasma TV from the Shapiro Atrium has used these banners to cover up his or her loot. Unfortunately, however, there is likely more than one thief at Brandeis.Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan said that since the ropes holding the banners to the railing were cut, rather than simply removed, he does not suspect the act was a prank.

"This was a malicious act that took some time to do," Callahan said. The University is taking the crime seriously, and security cameras are currently being reviewed.

While this may at first seem a petty theft, it is not. First, the banners are expensive, each costing at least $100. To replace them, the clubs will have to allocate money away from other projects. Secondly, this event is not the first of its kind at Brandeis. In addition to the plasma television, smaller thefts are committed here on an almost daily basis.

While we try to gain respect from the Administration, professors and each other, we lose a large chunk of credibility when a few people commit inane acts like this. We place great emphasis on tolerance and then some among us steal senselessly and give everyone a bad name.

It just does not make sense; there is no personal benefit to taking another club's banner. We are all intelligent enough to know that stealing a club's banner is hurtful to the club members and a waste of time for club leaders, public safety officers and anyone else involved. Even if the theft was intended as a prank, it is actually quite serious.

We consider Brandeis to be a safe campus. Compared to many other schools, we have little to worry about. It is for this reason that the theft of these banners is so frustrating. We are fortunate enough to live in a secure environment, and then we go and destroy the deserved sense of wellbeing by stealing from each other. We hope that juvenile acts like these will cease so that resources and energy can be allocated to more worthy causes.