When we first heard about the recent influx of complaints from the University City community about noise and trash from Wash. U. students living north of campus, our thoughts jumped to concern about what this could mean for WUPD’s historically liberal alcohol policy. We hold fond memories of frat parties and suite parties from our years as underclassmen, and we respect WUPD for enabling us to have them. We feel that it is imperative that the police department maintains a similar stance on off-campus parties as they do on campus—A hands-off policy that lets us drink responsibly enables the continuation of a mutually respectful relationship between students and the authorities.

Police Chief Don Strom addressed our concerns in a recent interview. When asked about the recent noise complaints, he remained respectful toward student needs, saying, “We’ve tried to partner with the U City police to try and address these issues…and assist them in creating a quality of life for students in those neighborhoods.” He acknowledged that a large portion of the increase in complaints may simply be due to the fact that people have new ways to complain: Social networking has made it easier to express concerns about the community.

However, Strom also emphasized that the potential for off-campus parties to get out of control is high, and that students often inhabit the same neighborhoods as families “that may go to bed at 10 p.m.” For WUPD, it is essential that University students remain respectful toward ordinances that forbid outdoor consumption of alcohol and the distribution of trash in yards. But, Strom says, students can often address their neighbors’ concerns themselves: “It would be helpful for them to talk to their neighbors and understand what their neighbors deem to be acceptable.”

Socializing forms a key component of the experience at the University, and students living off campus in their own apartments—many of whom are over 21—should be allowed to socialize responsibly at large gatherings involving alcohol, just as WUPD’s policy enables students living on the South 40, the North Side and in fraternity houses to do.

Because WUPD’s policy has been liberal toward underage drinking, this campus has been a safer—and arguably better—place. As legal adults, we are allowed to experiment with alcohol safely and on our own terms, developing a safe relationship with the substance—one that is not over-dependent or secretive. The risks of binge drinking—the kind of drinking that goes on quietly and behind closed doors—are high. Students with alcohol poisoning may not seek help if they feel that charges will be pressed, and often, “pre-gaming”—drinking before events where alcohol is forbidden—leads to irresponsibly rapid consumption. Rape and sexual assault are more likely to occur in alcohol-charged situations, and are less likely to be reported when a good relationship does not exist between party-goers and the authorities.

We commend WUPD for its historic understanding of our social world and its commitment to our safety. We encourage students and their neighbors to engage in a dialogue that promotes a mutually-respectful attitude toward partying so that this social world—a safe and enjoyable environment—can persist without problems.