Police responded to a complaint of men having sex in an Anderson Hall restroom Thursday afternoon.

Police issued the two men, ages 40 and 43, trespassing warnings and released them, according to a police report.

Anderson Hall and many other West Bank buildings have been popular “cruising” locations in the past, University Deputy Police Chief Steve Johnson said.

Cruising is loosely defined as men engaging in anonymous sexual activity in public places like restrooms, according to the Web site www.cruisingforsex.com.

B. David Galt, director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Programs Office at the University, said cruising is nothing new to the University.

“In terms of bathroom sex in history, there are reported incidents that go back to the ’30s and ’40s,” Galt said.

Galt also said most cruisers are older men who do not usually identify themselves as homosexuals.

“We don’t live in a world where we are able to express same-sex sexuality in the light of day,” Galt said.

Galt said safety is a major issue for anyone engaging in sexual acts in a public space.

The “Cruising for Sex” site lists popular cruising locations around the world. It lists Anderson Hall, Wilson Library, Willey Hall, Blegen Hall and the University recreation center as good locations for cruising.

The Web site also allows users to post comments about specific locations. Some posts referring to University buildings were as recent as June 2004.

One post regarding Anderson Hall, dated February 2004, warns cruisers that “cops are patrolling here all the time.”

The next post, dated March 2004, stated, “I love cruising here.”

“This place always seems to be happening,” the post stated.

“Public sex is illegal,” Johnson said. “It’s our role to enforce the law and make the campus safe.”

“We’d rather respond to complaints than people take the law into their own hands,” he said.

Attempted Minnesota Daily theft

An unknown man broke into the Minnesota Daily on Saturday at approximately 1 a.m.

The man threw a rock through a window and started loading computer parts into a garbage bin, according to a Minneapolis Police report.

Daily employee Matthew Johnson said he was working late that night and heard someone making noises.

“I scared him off with my very menacing question: ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ ” he said.

Co-Publisher and Chairwoman of the Board Caitlin Madigan said the Daily is still assessing the total damage.

“We’re taking measures to ensure the safety and security of everyone at the Daily,” she said.

Madigan said it will cost approximately $800 to repair the window and about $2,000 to replace the damaged electronic equipment.

Nothing was stolen, she said.

Marijuana possession

Police cited a University student on campus for possessing a small amount of marijuana Thursday.

The student was asking people to sign a petition to legalize medicinal marijuana while smoking a joint, according to the report.

The marijuana in the joint was not for medicinal purposes, according to the report.