On Thursday night, fourth-year College student Corrie Hall left her rocking chair and afghan outside 51 West Lawn, planning to retrieve them in the morning.
But when she awoke, she found the abandoned afghan lying in a heap on the brick walkway and her rocking chair missing - making her one of three Lawn residents in the past two weeks to be victimized by a string of chair thefts.
The students themselves are responsible for replacing the University-issued, handmade $280 wood-framed rocking chairs.
"I am pretty disillusioned," Hall said, adding that if a student committed the theft, she feels it is a definite violation of the University's honor code, which prohibits stealing.
Fourth-year College student Esther Bell, whose room lies directly opposite Hall's on the East Lawn, also found her chair mysteriously missing Friday morning.
Bell said she had retired for the evening around 1 a.m. and a mere seven hours later, a Lawn neighbor awakened her with the news that her chair was gone.
"I am pissed," she said. "I never questioned my safety or the safety of my belongings. It's sad because now no one will leave anything outside."
Bell has hung a "Wanted" sign on the door of 48 East Lawn, demanding the return of her furniture.
The University's Housing Division has already billed Bell for the lost chair and she has received a replacement, but Bell said she hopes the thief returns it so her payment can be reimbursed.
The first victim of the Lawn chair-snatchings was fourth-year College student Stephen Myers, who occupies 46 East Lawn. Myers went to William and Mary the night of Sep. 9 and when he returned the next day, his rocking chair no longer was outside where he had left it.
"I guess it was kind of dumb to leave it outside, but I really didn't think anyone would steal a rocking chair," Myers said.
He said he feels very disappointed with the situation.
Students are supposed to live in a community of honor and trust, he added. Of all places, one would think that the Lawn would be safe, Myers said.
Fourth-year College student Jean Zachariasiewicz, who lives in Room 55 West, said the Lawn is a place where such things should not occur.
"I think it's sad that at the center of U.Va. - and if you want to call it, Mr. Jefferson's academic village - this sort of thing happens," Zachariasiewiez said. "Nowhere's perfect, but at the same time, people tend to think that they can trust their fellow students and it's hard to have it thrown in your face that you can't always do that."
But Zachariasiewiez's neighbor, fourth-year Engineering student Bob Thiele of 49 West Lawn, said the Lawn is a highly trafficked area, with both students and non-students.
"We were warned not to [leave items outside.] So many people walk through here, so it's kind of inevitable," Thiele said.
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