Cardboard seems to be a poor substitute for proper windows. Some students discovered this firsthand when they noticed four completely shattered windows in the LOTE hallway on Sept. 26.  Another two were broken in an adjacent classroom, room 21.

At this point, there is no conclusive answer as to why the windows were broken, but a police report was filed and a detailed investigation is still underway.

The incident caused widespread confusion, as students and teachers provided a number of different theories.      Were the windows broken on purpose, or was it merely an accident?

“It’s ironic because so many windows were shattered.  Occasionally, a window may get broken by accident, but five or six broken windows makes it seem like it was done on purpose,” said Mr. Richard Acevedo, the head painter and foreman of the window repairs.

Assistant Principal Mr. David Miller agreed with Acevedo’s view.

“Although I do believe the damage was caused by a ball of some sort, you don’t break so many windows just playing lacrosse,” said Mr. Miller.

Head Custodian Mr. Dave Albury believes that it was probably an accident.

“When such things do happen it’s generally sports related.   But, you do get the occasional vandals who like to throw rocks and what-have-you through the windows,” said Mr. Albury.

Mr. Albury has had the most experiences of the current staff with these incidents.

He pointed out that with soccer, field hockey, and many other sports underway, there are bound to be a few stray balls.  Most troublesome are lacrosse balls and baseballs, according to Mr. Albury.

However, at the scene of the incident, no balls, rocks, or other clues were found.

Whether or not it was an accident, some teachers using the rooms with broken windows found the damage disruptive.

“It’s really inconvenient. I have as many as thirty kids in my classroom at any given time, and the room warms up quickly.  I can’t even open a window,” said Ms. Anna Valentino.

The damage led to further classroom disruption when the custodial staff began repairing the windows on Oct. 20.

Classes that met in the affected rooms had to be relocated for the day to ensure student safety and prevent distraction.

“If someone did break all these windows, it shows that they don’t care about the classrooms or the school, which is really disrespectful,” said sophomore Mari Mirasol.

In addition to the disrespectful nature of such an action, repairing the windows can also be pricey.

“It’s unfair. It’s expensive. It’s something your parents and community ends up paying for,” said Mr. Miller.

There were no other damages found, and there have been no reports of stolen equipment either.