Every year the Auburn University Career Center prints vinyl banners to honor students at graduation, but the gesture has back\0x9Efired two years in a row.
A dozen of these banners have been stolen in two years, and employees there are getting tired of it.
"A banner stolen here or there is no biggie," said Matthew Anspach, graduate assistant for the Career Center. "But it was like an epidemic."
Late night pranksters or graduates looking for a memento as they leave Auburn are the main suspects.
\0x1FThe banners cost $250 apiece. \0x1FThe Career Center has had to stop making them because of the expense.
"It's costing money that we could do other things with, but we have to replace the banners," said Melvin Smith, special events coordinator for the Career Center.
Career Center employees have tried to deter the thefts as best they can, but their e\0x99fforts have been futile.
"We've put signs on the banner poles that say to not tamper with them," Smith said. "I've reported to the police and they've tried to observe, but they can't sit and watch these banners all the time."
In addition to graduation, the Career Center puts up banners to promote job fairs and other events.
The Center is concerned that if more banners are stolen, students will be unaware of important events.
"It's how we promote our event," Smith said. "A lot of times students don't check their emails, but if they see a big banner people will notice."
Cameras that could catch potential thieves have been set up around campus.
"If one gets taken (the University) informed us they can look at any video cameras in the area to help us out," Anspach said.
But Smith said it isn't always possible to ride around campus during the night to ensure the banners are still standing.
Students caught stealing banners could be subject to a wide range of punishments.
Smith and Anspach both said the Career Center would seek assistance both the Auburn Police Department and the University to arrange appropriate punishments.
Stealing banners could affect a student's graduation status, officials said.
"We're not out trying to hurt anybody," Smith said. "We just don't want them to tamper with our banners. (The banners) are there to benefit the students."
Stealing these banners may not be worth the risk.
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