Earlier this year, between Jan. 19 and Jan. 20, letters were stolen from the Elizabethtown College sign at the corner of Mount Joy Street and College Avenue. The disappearance of the letters led to campus-wide interest in the sign and the works of the Campus Security office.

The letters that were stolen included B, E, T, L and L. Some letters have not yet been replaced or restored, as the sign sits with empty spaces in the words. Although they have not been replaced, they have been returned to the College.

The immediate thought around campus was that, late one night, some students decided taking some letters would make for a good prank. After a campus-wide email revealed the dates and expense of replacing the letters, the whole student body was officially informed of the incident. This email called for tips or knowledge to be forwarded to the Campus Security office either by phone or through their anonymous tip form on the College’s website. It also included the price, about $450, of replacing the letters.

A rumor surrounding the missing letters was that they were never stolen and are just being kept in the Campus Security office until the end of the academic year. The rumor that the letters are simply being held is false. “The letters from this year’s theft are back in the school’s possession,” Director of Campus Security Leo Sokoloski said. According to Sokoloski, the letters are currently being refurbished and cleaned.  Once that is done, they will be returned to the sign.