Charles Village residents are unhappy. They claim that students have infiltrated their quiet haven with noise, vandalism and plain old disrespect. Vice-Provost Paula Burger said that this year, the administration has already fielded an unusually large number of resident phone calls, "where behavior has been degrading the quality of life in [residents'] communities."
Residents have run out of patience and are calling for the University to take more responsibility in policing its students. The University has promised to look into viable solutions. Yet this is not a University issue. Hopkins should not have to patrol students off campus. This is a good-neighbor issue, plain and simple.
At their community meetings, Charles Village residents complain of thumping bass, broken beer bottles and students urinating on cars and screaming rudely in the middle of the night. "The behavior of Hopkins students on a Friday or Saturday night is abominable," resident David Briggs said at this week's Association meeting.
In a neighbor-to-neighbor situation, both sides need to give. Local residents must understand that living adjacent to a university involves sharing a home with university students. Hopkins does not offer four years of housing. Students tend to pack densely into a house or apartment for economic as well as social reasons. They do stay up later and get together often with friends.
At the same time, when students choose a community residence for independence, they must accept the responsibility that comes with it. It's not rocket science -- neighbors are considerate of each other. They don't trash each other's lawns and cars or blast music after a call to quiet down. It is the student's responsibility to make sure that his/her house guests respect common courtesy as well.
The University should not have to set up a "nighttime spokesman" hotline, or feel obligated to circulate a report of all disciplinary action taken against off-campus students each month, as Burger suggested. Residents should feel free to treat students as peers. There are already civil policies in place to address irresponsible residents: police actions and evictions by the city housing office. Hopkins Security already serves as an excellent mediator between students and the city.
Conflicts between students and Charles Village residents need not involve the University. Students and residents are neighbors. We can treat this relationship as such.
