Stealing from the HAWC has become a problem as the year has progressed, and the SGA is looking at different options for preventing future thefts.
During the weekly SGA meeting on Wednesday, General Judicial Councilmember Sarah Houston introduced the issue to class representatives and the discussion remained the topic for the day.
At first, representatives suggested catching thieves by reviewing surveillance cameras or paying someone to keep track of customers.
However, as the conversation deepened, SGA adviser Hunter Stanfield pointed out that the goal should be to prevent people from stealing, not punish someone for stealing a $2 bag of chips.
“We want people to be aware that taking something once in a while costs a lot of money, and it’s a serious problem,” said Wil Fisher, junior class president and food committee representative. “We need to encourage each other to do the right thing.”
Sodexo estimated that about 1 percent of the products they make and send to Pepperdine is stolen, Fisher said. While that may not seem like a lot at first, if you take one out of every student account, that’s about $15 per person. If you multiply that by 3,000 people, the amount of stolen money adds up quickly.
Peak hours in the HAWC are usually from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., 4:30 to 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., according to the supervisor, Malak Bostros. Bostros and other workers in the HAWC said the times are a rough estimate and differ from day-to-day but are normally when the register will have the longest lines.
“It’s a serious problem and we need to work together to solve it,” Fisher said. After all, the money will have to be made up somewhere and that will likely mean higher prices for all students. “This is everyone’s problem. We want to make it clear to people that fixing this problem is something good for all of us.”
SGA plans on campaigning to show students the importance of accountability. They intend to take the approach of prevention over punishment and said that they hope the student body will work together to solve the issue.
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