Student lockers robbed in Cal Poly Humboldt art department

What started out as a normal day, led to several Cal Poly Humboldt art students finding their lockers bare. In Assistant Professor Eliseo Casiano’s Painting I, art materials ranging from paint brushes, film negatives and entire paint sets were stolen from various student lockers, throughout the department on Feb. 2, due to many of the lockers not being locked. 

According to the CPH art department, locker rentals are free, however students are required to purchase their own lock to be eligible for a locker rental. Due to it still being early in the semester when the robbery occurred, many students had not yet purchased a lock. Other departments such as music, rent out school-owned materials to students and provide a locker and lock free of charge. 

“All students are supposed to lock their materials, hallway lockers especially,” Casiano said. “In Painting I, my students share a locker with a classmate for storage. Unfortunately, some of the students didn’t lock their lockers because they hadn’t spoken with their locker mates yet about keys or combo locks—basically, students were trying to be helpful with one another and avoid locking each other out.” 

Originally, one student had reported a theft from their locker with the University Police Department and shortly after, several other students also reported stolen items that same day. According to UPD, the theft is believed to have occurred between Jan. 28 and Feb. 2.   

Lieutenant Janelle Jackson, confirmed that the university is not responsible for damaged or stolen materials.

“In many areas across campus where lockers are provided or rented, you are responsible for securing your belongings with your own lock,” Jackson said. “Similar to bringing a bike to campus, the University provides bike racks for bikes, but you are responsible for securing your bike with a lock. However, UPD provides students with a free U-lock when they register their bike at the station to help prevent bike theft on campus.”

Currently there are no suspects, however Jackson mentioned that a person caught stealing could face consequences such as suspension, removal from on-campus housing, fines and/or jail time. 

Following the robbery, lecturer Gina Tuzzi reached out to the Art Center located on the square in Arcata. Owners Malia Matsumoto and Lush Newton were eager to donate what they could to the students who had items stolen. Matsumoto and Newton were able to donate enough oil paints to supply everyone who was stolen from with two colors for free. 

“We just thought it was the right thing to do,” Matsumoto said. “There are some things we have an abundance of and so we just wanted to share.”

Casiano and Tuzzi also searched for leftover materials donated by past students and were able to provide some students with art kits and alternative supplies.

Serenity Capers, a sophomore art education major, was one of the students who was stolen from. While she had some of her brushes and paints stolen, Casiano has worked with her and other students to provide them with brushes, palette knives and paints that they can use for the remainder of the semester. 

“I feel that our students had the wind knocked out of their sails so early into the semester, and I’m disheartened by what was taken from them,” Casiano said. “I have to look at the positive communal nature of our students. Within five minutes of finding out materials were stolen, classmates offered to share resources. I am proud of what they pushed through to continue the semester.”