Eight crosses on the Meditation Trail have been pulled out of the ground, turned upside down, or removed and hidden over three instances within the last two months. 

The crosses were part of a the Meditation Trail, which is located between main campus parking lots and the O’Daniel South apartments.

Religious Life Director Christine Hoehn reported the incidences to security the first time when a cross was ripped from the ground and thrown in a nearby creek.

Security did not file a report. The vandalism occured on two more accounts, Feb. 22 and March 14. Security filed two reports. 

Hoehn estimates the damages are $1,000. The signs were nearly seven-feet-tall crosses with verses from the bible on each. The Meditation Trail included benches to sit and read the verses.

“It may not be religious in motivation,” Hoehn said. “I just don’t know how to interpret this vandalism, if there is an interpretation.”

Sixteen years ago, Brian Knapp, an eagle scout and Mater Dei graduate, created the path for USI students.

The Meditation Trail sits on property owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Evansville. In 1966, the Archdiocese donated 200 acres to the Southern Indiana Higher Education Board, the institution that would later become USI.

The Diocese made this donation with the condition that forty acres be set aside for a chapel or similar building called Newman Center. The university began building projects on the site of the initial forty acres to be given back, and instead deeded two and a half acres at the site of the Meditation Trail and another eight acres near the Frisbee golf course.

Hoehn, who is also an Archdiocese employee, said contacted the Security Office to file the report and request increased patrols in the area.

After the third act of vandalism occurred, Religious Life requested that security cameras be installed on the path.

Hoehn said the idea of using security cameras was refused because of the high cost of running power to the area.

Security Assistant Director Steve Bequette said the cases are closed, but would be reopened if more information became available.

“We encouraged her to file a sheriff’s report,” Bequette said. 

The Sheriff’s Department currently has no leads on the matter, Bequette said. 

“We can’t say whether it’s a student or community person,” Dean of Students Barry Schonberger said.

The signs have been recovered and are being repaired so that they can be replaced. The signs will also be put back in concrete as a deterrent to furthur vandalism.

“It is disturbing because it doesn’t fit in with the norm here of respecting property,” Schonberger said.