Someone stole approximately 20 artwork pieces last week from the basement of Rarig Center, according to a police report.

The artwork was part of a gallery students from the Coalition for a Respectful U produced, said Justin Christy, principle administrative specialist for the theater arts and dance department.

There are no suspects in the incident.

The artwork displayed messages about not hating people based on sexual orientation and race.

Some of the poster board pieces were approximately 30 by 36 inches and interactive, Christy said.

Students could use markers hanging from the artwork to write declarations of tolerance on some pieces, he said.

“We wish we had more of an idea (how this happened),” Christy said.

Banner shredding

Also on the West Bank, someone “maliciously destroyed” eight College of Liberal Arts banners last week, according to a police report.

Kelly O’Brien, West Bank Arts Quarter communications manager, said she was walking from the bus stop to her office when she noticed the shredded banners hanging from light poles in front of Ferguson Hall.

“It’s a bummer when that kind of stuff happens, because anytime you vandalize something at the University, it costs money to replace,” she said.

Steve Johnson, deputy police chief for the University Police Department, said he considers the damage an isolated incident.

Police are looking for information on who shredded the banners, he said.

“It is senseless damage to property and a waste of (University) resources,” Johnson said.

The loss is approximately $360, he said.

Drag racing

In two separate incidents this weekend, police stopped several cars that were drag racing, according to police reports.

Both incidents were along Kasota Avenue.

In one incident, officers on routine patrol saw two vehicles staged in the middle of the road revving their engines.

When police turned on their lights, the drag racers made U-turns and began driving away from the officers.

The officers pulled over one driver in a cream-colored Honda Civic and arrested him on charges of fleeing from police.

Johnson said that University police have encountered similar activity in the area during the last couple of years.

Because police have seen drag racing happening there, Johnson said, they will continue to patrol the area for suspicious activity.

But Johnson said there are worse consequences for drag racing than getting arrested or ticketed.

People driving down that road don’t expect to have other cars coming at them 60 to 80 mph, he said.

“It is dangerous, and there could be a very bad accident where, if not the racers, other innocent people could get killed or seriously injured,” Johnson said.

Plastic tubs

Two University students were cited for minor consumption after they took a washtub from Northrop Mall, according to a police report.

Tyson Malchow said he was walking home with his friend after a party, when his friend ran over to a stack of 40 big plastic tubs outside Northrop Auditorium and picked one up.

Malchow’s friend asked him for some help carrying the tub, Malchow said.

Malchow said he didn’t really think about it.

“They looked like they would be perfect for filling with ice and throwing a keg in,” Malchow said.

Johnson said the “washtubs” were actually large, gray Rubbermaid tubs.