Residing in North Quad, the Polaris Lounge sits atop campus, steps away from Scheffres, Gordon, Reitman and Cable residence halls. As a common space for first-year students and campus organizations, it boasts several couches, a television and a pool table. However, Polaris Lounge has recently been the scene of an act of vandalism.  

In an Oct. 24 email to North Quad residents, the Department of Community Living’s Area Coordinator for North, Celia Henderson, shared that students had been using cue sticks from the pool table to poke holes in the ceiling tiles and the University has yet to identify any perpetrators. 

Additionally, Henderson noted that facilities are currently in the process of determining the cost of the damages. She wrote, “After the final cost is determined, we will be moving forward with community damages distributed amongst all North Quad residents, unless someone comes forward taking responsibility.” 

In a Nov. 6 statement to The Justice, the Interim Assistant Vice President of Operations and Public Safety, Chief Matthew Rushton, confirmed that Facilities Services is working with the DCL to evaluate the scope of the damage. According to him, the quote for the restoration — including labor and materials — is “approximately $6000.” Rushton clarified that the final figure will not be determined until the work is completed. 

In addition, Henderson said the pool equipment will no longer be accessible in the lounge at all times. Instead, the DCL has introduced a new sign-out process for residents in order to “keep track of who is using what equipment at what time.” Now, the equipment will be available for sign-out in the Quad Office between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Students will have to leave their ID or credit card in the office as well. 

She concluded, “We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we work to resolve this issue. If you have any information regarding the damages, please contact me directly.” 

The University’s decision has sparked widespread frustration among residents, many of whom say they were unaware of the damages until the email alerted them. While the University cites its Undergraduate Room and Board License Agreement 2025-26 as grounds for the community charge, students questioned both the fairness of a collective penalty and the lack of preventative measures, primarily the absence of security cameras in the lounge. 

As Henderson’s message established, the vandalism involved extensive damages to the ceiling above the pool table area. In conversation with The Justice, students who viewed the damages firsthand described it as “significant and deliberate.” More specifically, in a Nov. 6 interview with The Justice, Lydia Kestnbaum-Cook ’29 said she counted 57 visibly damaged tiles after receiving Henderson’s email. She described, “it’s not just a few pokes here and there, it goes out into the room, not just over the table. You’d really have to force the cue up there, signaling that this was no accident.” 

“Facilities Services was very disappointed to see the damage in Polaris Lounge. These shared community spaces are meant to be enjoyed by students, it is unfortunate when misuse results in disruption to that purpose,” Rushton wrote. “Our focus is to return the lounge to a condition that students can again take pride in and enjoy.” 

DCL’s Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Timothy Touchette, emphasized that the University’s approach follows standard residential policy. In a Nov. 5 statement to The Justice, Touchette wrote that Rights and Responsibilities section 9.6 and the Undergraduate Room and Board License Agreement 2025-26 includes “the accountability and responsibility rules for when damage occurs and for assessing the cost of repair, including an assessment distributed to all residents of a community living space if there is damage that cannot be attributed to one or more specific persons.” 

Touchette highlighted the third point under the license agreement’s “Rules and Regulations” section: “Each licensee is responsible for the care of the University property in their room and in public areas of the residence hall. The cost of any damage or loss will be assessed to the Licensee(s) responsible.” His statement also reiterated the new policies for pool equipment usage. 

For many students, the announcement came as an unwelcome surprise. In a Nov. 5 interview with The Justice, North Quad resident Reed Winkelmann ’29 shared that the damages seemed isolated, making it unfair to charge all residents. “It’s the damage of maybe six guys and yet, 400-500 people might end up paying for it. Some people here are on full financial aid, they can’t afford to take a hit for something like this,” he said. As of press time The Justice could not verify the number of residents who will be charged. While the Room and Board license Agreement outlines University procedure for breach of guidelines in common spaces, these policies are often not reiterated to students, relying on the assumption that students would have read these guidelines. 

Others echoed Winkelmann’s concern. In a Nov. 6 interview with The Justice, David Zaslavsky ’29 said he was “angry and confused” when he read the email. He expressed, “I had nothing to do with this, why should I pay for someone else being irresponsible? It’s unfair, and it's not like they don't have ways to find out who did it.” 

Several residents also questioned the lack of surveillance in the Polaris Lounge. Though there are security cameras in many common areas on campus, some surrounding the lounge as well,  students reported that Polaris, one of the most frequently used spaces in North Quad, has no monitoring equipment. “I’m surprised they don’t have security cameras,” Winkelmann said. “It should be pretty easy to figure out who did this. If they had one, we probably wouldn’t all be in the situation.” 

While most students opposed the collective billing, some acknowledged the University’s dilemma. Molly Kodesch ’29, speaking to The Justice on Nov. 6, said she understood why the DCL might resort to community charges, even if it felt “unfair.” She said, “I get why they’re doing it, but it's annoying, It was probably just a group of boys being stupid. I’ve never even been in the lounge and now I might have to pay for it.” 

Kestnbaum-Cook expressed an understanding for both sides. “I understand where the University is coming from, they can’t just eat that cost, but I don't want to pay for something I didn’t do. … People from all over campus use that lounge — it might not even be someone from North.” 

Following the vandalism, residents have reported noticing how Polaris Lounge has become quieter, with fewer students spending time there. “Before, it used to be super rowdy, people were in there all night playing pool, hosting events, watching TV, now it’s mostly empty. People don’t want to deal with the hassle.” Kestnbaum-Cook added that the new restrictions make the space feel less communal. “You have to sign out the cues now at a different location which kind of ruins the vibe and takes the fun out of it.” She continued, “adding cameras would’ve been a better solution than limiting access.” 

Some residents said the DCL’s enforcement could work to deter future instances of vandalism in the community. Kodesch added, “maybe people will treat the space better now.”  

However, several residents expressed skepticism that anyone will step forward. “No one’s going to confess,” Zaslavsky said flatly. “They’d get charged anyway, and everyone already knows they’d be hated for it.”

Facilities Services has not yet confirmed a final cost or timeline for repairs, but the ceiling tiles will be replaced once work orders are processed. 

Chief Rushton reaffirmed the University’s priority in restoring the space. “We value the North Quad community and will continue to support Community Living as they follow the established student conduct and accountability process,” he said. 

Whether through fines, facility updates or new surveillance measures, the incident has opened a conversation about shared responsibility, fairness and awareness of community standards at Brandeis.