Written by Madelyn Clements ||
Did you know about the 30-year-old man who broke into a girls’ dorm in the student village? If your answer is no, then you’re not alone. Due to the school’s lack of response to the incident, many students remain unaware of the break-in, even though it occurred months ago. Illan Ilyayev, who lives in the dorms, was asked about it—and until his interview with The Fulcrum, he hadn’t heard anything regarding the incident. When informed of the school’s silence on the situation, he commented that he was surprised “because of how strict they are with the student village and its rules.” Illan also added,“For somebody to come in and break into a building that should be highly secured because there’s public safety all around…that is not good. And for them to not…inform people, that is also not good.” He also mentioned that it’s even scarier that the trespasser broke in through a window, rather than entering through an open door.
One of the students who lived in the suite posted a viral TikTok showing the man conversing with police, wearing her roommate’s towel—she privately disclosed that she was upset with how the situation was handled. She also mentioned that nobody from SUNY Broome ensured her safety after the incident, leaving her feeling unsettled.
The SUNY Broome Public Safety Crime Record was updated five days after the incident, stating that a “Criminal Trespass” had occurred on 12/10/21 at 1:40 am, with the disposition labeled as an “arrest”. However, there was a regularly scheduled student hall meeting held two days after the break-in, and the Residential Assistants didn’t discuss the situation or any necessary safety precautions. In December, the Director of Campus Safety and Security, Nicholas Brey, stated “We’re not going to give out any information without a FOIL request.” A FOIL request is an informal request for documentation under public record. Brey also mentioned that he needed to be “guarded” in his description of the break-in and stated that Public Safety isn’t in charge of making statements; however, the Director of Marketing, Communications & Public Information, Silvia C. Briga also refused to comment on the situation.
The Fulcrum reached out to Abigail Boyer, the Associative Executive Director at Clery Center, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping colleges meet the standards that require them to disclose information about crime on or near their campuses. The Clery Act is named after Jeanne Clery, a 19-year-old Lehigh University student who was raped and murdered in her campus residence hall. Her story caused backlash against unreported crime on campuses all across the country. In response to the SUNY Broome break-in, Boyer said,“There is opportunity for students to have a voice about safety on campus.”
Student Interviews contributed by Tyler Rizzo and Ariel Hochman
fulcrumnewspaper.com 