Rising numbers of complaints from community residents near Washington University concerning student conduct off campus prompted a “Good Neighbor” meeting between student leaders and school officials last Friday.
Administrators called for a discussion and a search for solutions after what they called one of the loudest, noisiest and worst starts of the year.

Josh Walehwa, associate director of Residential Life, e-mailed members of Student Union (SU), various Greek organizations, class council leaders, the North Side Association and various University officials, inviting them to a brainstorming session.

More 15 students representing various student organizations attended to learn about the issue and devise strategies to address the complaints.

“It’s nice that the administration is taking a step forward but also working really hard to include student leaders,” said junior Michael Post, SU senator and recorder for Sigma Nu’s executive board. “There was a lot of active communicating, engaging and brainstorming.”

In addition to Walehwa, Dean of Students Justin Carroll, government-relations official Cheryl Adelstein and Residential College Director Ashley Swanson-Hoye were also in attendance.

Each of the officials presented various aspects of the issue while emphasizing that only a small number of students were creating the University’s poor reputation in the surrounding neighborhood.

Adelstein showed several letters from community members that praised University seniors who participated in Service 4.0 last week, though she also read aloud numerous complaints of residents who raised concerns about the noise of students returning from off-campus parties, beer cans tossed into yards, and stolen signs, among others.

In one instance, students urinated on a resident’s lawn. In a separate incident, students also drew lewd images on the windows of a car.

The University received complaints from residents of Ames Place, a private neighborhood which sits between the Loop and the Danforth Campus. Other complaints came from neighbors living on Trinity and Kingsland avenues, Washington Avenue and Greenway, Greenway Walk and Melville Avenue, and Forsyth Boulevard.

Officials emphasized that the problem is not students living in the community, but rather the small percentage of students on the way to or from off-campus visits with friends.

“It goes back to most people [not realizing] how much noise they make outside the Wash. U. bubble,” said senior Kevin Smith, Interfraternity Council president.

After the discussion, student leaders were asked for their input on how to combat the disruptive behavior. Ideas ranged from a task force to posters on residential walls to events aimed at stimulating discussion.

“There were some easy solutions that could help to a certain extent by educating the off-campus community better, [or by] providing recycling containers to throw garbage away rather than throwing it on the ground,” Smith said.

“[There] seemed to be a general consensus that we all wanted to increase the personal relationships between students and neighbors,” said junior Robyn Michaelson said, and SU senator.
Student leaders emphasized the need for student groups to conduct programming and student involvement in administration efforts.

Efforts have been made in the past by the Office of Residential Life and some student groups to interact with the community. Swanson-Hoye, who runs off-campus housing, said University students living in University Drive and Greenway helped with a local Halloween festival last year.

The University also publishes a semesterly newsletter to inform nearby residents of campus news and runs a Web site specifically for them, too.

At the meeting, Junior Andrew Bort, president of Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT), an off-campus fraternity located on Forsyth, shared two ways his fraternity interacted with the neighborhood.

Bort said fraternity members introduced themselves to neighbors and provided contact information. ZBT also hosted a community-wide barbecue.

“We have to introduce ourselves to our neighbors and put a friendly face behind the Wash. U. student stereotype,” said Fernando Cutz, senior class president. “It’s going to be hard to change everybody all at once. If we can reach out to a large enough group, they can serve as ambassadors to our cause.”

Cutz outlined a proposal for a town hall forum between residents and the University students, culminating in a community dinner.

“It’s a matter of starting a culture at Wash. U. of neighbor respect,” Cutz said.

Several students at the meeting expressed interest in joining a committee to further explore long-term solutions.

“It needs to be a sustained effort,” Michaelson said. “We [need] to continue forming these relationships with the new classes each year.”

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Tags: neighborhood, neighbors, noise complaint, noisy, students

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 at 4:28 am and is filed under Administration, News, Regional News. You can follow any responses to this entry through this feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.