From break-ins to smashed windows, several fraternity houses have been vandalized this quarter in what Interfraternity Council officers are calling a routine rise in vandalism during the winter.

Sigma Nu suffered the most damages, totaling about $15,000, from a burglary during Winter Break, according to the fraternity’s president. This quarter Zeta Beta Tau, Delta Tau Delta, Phi Delta Theta and Beta Theta Pi all have been vandalized.

At a roundtable of fraternity presidents on Thursday, IFC officials and fraternity presidents discussed the increasing vandalism.

“One of the things we talked about is that it could be the result of restlessness during Winter Quarter or could be an adrenaline trip by (new) pledges in fraternities,” said Beta President Bassel Korkor.

IFC President Phil Ordway stressed that vandalism regularly occurs in the Fraternity Quads and that IFC is working to prevent more incidents.

University Police Sgt. Steven Stoeckl said fraternities often do not report the vandalism to UP and instead handle it internally.

Sigma Nu’s house was vandalized sometime between Dec. 24 and 29, said Sigma Nu President David Alvarez.

“Someone came in with an ax or sledgehammer and basically broke down the doors in every single room of the house,” said Alvarez, a Weinberg junior. “Every single door had to be replaced.”

More than $10,000 worth of VCRs, DVD players, videos, televisions and a laptop computer was stolen, he said.

Alvarez said UP believes a group of high schoolers or non-Northwestern students caused the damage.

“UP was pretty convinced that it wasn’t someone who goes to school here because of the dates they were looking at,” Alvarez said.

Broken windows have been one of the most common acts of vandalism to the fraternity houses recently. Phi Delt, ZBT, Delt and Beta have all had multiple windows broken with objects such as pool balls and cinder blocks.

“It’s been a very frustrating experience to have to repair the windows, to call UP and to call Facilities Management to repair them,” ZBT President Bruce Spolansky said.

Phi Delt had a composite picture and two or three plaques stolen from its house mid-quarter, Phi Delt President Amit Mady said.

Chi Psi also did not escape theft during the holiday season.

“We lost a Christmas tree,” said Louis Provost, president of the Lodge. “It was taken from the house some night during Finals Week (Fall Quarter).”

Fraternity presidents at the roundtable last week brainstormed possible preventative measures for the rising vandalism but had trouble because they didn’t know who was causing the problems.

“The consensus reached at the meeting was that there was no organized group responsible for the vandalism,” said James Foster, IFC vice president for public relations.

Spolansky said the presidents plan to discuss the incidents with their members.

“If it is fraternity members doing it, we want it to stop,” he said.

Greek leaders said they doubt that fraternity members caused the vandalism because it affected their houses.

“When things happen in the Fraternity Quads, the blame is often placed on the fraternity members even though they are the ones that take the most vandalism,” Foster said.

To prevent future occurrences, Foster said, IFC officials discussed asking fraternity members to report suspicious activity and asking UP to increase its patrolling of the Fraternity Quads on the weekends.

Ordway said vandalism is one of several issues the newly installed IFC board is addressing.

“Our executive board just transitioned and we are trying to create a dialogue and increase awareness about vandalism,” he said.