The Sample Gates were vandalized in one of several similar incidents in Bloomington during spring break.

Black spray paint was found on the Sample Gates at about 3 a.m. March 12, IU Police Department Capt. Andy Stephenson said.

One column of the Sample Gates was painted with the letters “DP” and the other column was painted with “RAM,” Stephenson said.

“We’re not sure what it means,” he said. “It could be the band Daft Punk. They had an album called ‘Random Access Memory.’ It could also mean dual-port RAM. This is all speculation, though.”

There is no suspect so far in the case, though the investigation is still open, Stephenson said.

Three or four other incidents of vandalism were found near First and University streets south of campus at about the same time.

The Sample Gates were cleaned up later in the day, Stephenson said.

“It took a few rounds to clean the gates completely,” Stephenson said. “It was black paint, so you can imagine how difficult it was to wash off.”

Vandalism, usually occurring in early hours of the morning, is one of the most common crimes on campus.

“These cases tend to be difficult to solve,” Stephenson said. “Sometimes it’s impossible to decipher whatever message is there, and sometimes there is no message at all.”

Sarah Gardner

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