There have been more instances of lost phones, car keys, and other possessions than in past years.
Alex Haylock ’19, Chase Bennett ’19
There have been around forty emails sent about missing items since the start of January 2017.
Missing items since the start of the new year range from glasses to car keys to calculators and even dental retainers. Emails are not only sent during the school day, but also out over weekends and even on snow days.
Most emails advising the Malvern community about the missing items are sent out by Dean of Students Mr. Timothy Dougherty.
“The emails are effective,” Mr. Dougherty said. “A lot of those things turn up. That’s the good part of the Dean of Students office.”
[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“My brother lost six pairs of pants in his freshman year, in the course of three months. He still hasn’t found them and he graduated last year.”
-Christian Galilea ’19[/perfectpullquote]
Sophomore Brennan Robinson said that the emails help him keep track of his things, but not as much as before.
“I think it’s helpful to see what people are losing,” he said. “It reminds me to keep track of all my stuff, but now I just ignore them.”
Because of the constant flow of missing items, many students reason that their items may have been stolen, but Dougherty does not think this is the case.
“In the past, kids would usually come up and say ‘someone stole my calculator or someone stole my backpack,’” he said. “It’s amazing how much more self-aware kids have become.”
There has been a significant increase in emails about missing items, as many as three sent out in a day. But by far, the most often reported missing item are calculators.
The emails on missing items are only the ones reported missing by students. This has led to “Lost & Founds” being placed in Stewart, O’Neill, and the Learning Commons. Items can also be turned into the Dean of Students office.
Numerous items fall under the radar, and are left behind in classrooms and during break. Things like notebooks and textbooks can often be found in Lost & Founds around campus.
“I think we do [have lost & founds] to try to keep it in [the same location],” Education Services Administrator Mrs. Dougherty said, “So if you lose something, and you say ‘I really think I left it in here’, then it is actually here.”
She doesn’t always keep things in the nearest lost and found, however.
“Now if it’s a key item, a car key, a phone, I immediately send it over to Doc,” she said. Items usually reported are the more expensive items like phones and laptops.
Students have now become accustomed to losing things around campus.
“I lost a duffel bag, with a jacket in it too,” sophomore Stephen Fratamico said. “A lot of times you don’t know what building you lost your things. And then you end up never finding your things again.”
Malvern’s campus being composed of several buildings is one of the biggest factors to students misplacing their possessions. Leaving from one building to travel to another can make it more difficult to track down missing things.
“I think that sometimes they’re just not aware of all the items they have brought in somewhere, or they’re are in a rush to get to class,” Mrs. Dougherty said.
Because of this, many emails reporting missing things also include where the items were thought to be lost.
Sports are also a big contribution to lost items. After school practices leads to kids bringing multiple bags of clothing and gear. Changing in between school and practices causes students to misplace their clothes.
Mr. Dougherty thinks that lost items are on the rise. “Maybe it’s because spring season has so many more kids and sports, more kids changing, more kids leaving stuff around, different locker rooms,” he said.
“My brother lost six pairs of pants in his freshman year, in the course of three months,” sophomore Cristian Galilea said. “He still hasn’t found them and he graduated last year.”
Some students attribute lost items to theft, but Mr. Dougherty is not sure how often theft happens on campus. “I’m sure theft happens,” Dougherty said. “I don’t know if it’s prevalent. It happens.”
Students may be used to lost items, but it frustrates many when missing items are not returned.
“I’ve never lost anything and it’s just turned up,” Fratamico said.
“They’re just typical teenage boys.”
That’s how Education Services Administrator Mrs. Diane Dougherty’s explains students who lose so many items on campus.
“I lost my calculator somewhere on campus because I forgot about it,” sophomore Buck Walsh said. “Someone probably moved it to the lost and found or took it.”
