Neighborhood relations have continued to deteriorate despite a steep decline in formal complaints, according to fraternities and community leaders.
The University has seen a marked decrease in complaints about fraternities this year, but many surrounding residents do not think this is indicative of the real situation.
"Over the past three years, neighborhood relations involving our Greek organizations have improved," said Carrie Bennett, the student-community liaison for the Office of the Dean of Student Life.
Salem Reiner, director of Community Affairs, agreed with her. His office compiles complaints the University has received regarding students in off-campus housing. During the last calendar year, the University received 235 complaints. From January 2007 to Oct. 31, 2007, the University has only received 89 complaints. However, of the grievances the University has received this year, 22 of them were identified as "unfounded complaints."
Reiner was careful though to point out that "unfounded complaints" are not necessarily false or baseless.
"When we categorize complaints as unfounded, we mean that when Carrie Bennett or local police arrive at the site of the complaint, there is no evidence present to support the complaint. This doesn't mean that there was no ground for the call - often these complaints refer to a party that has already been broken up. These sorts of complaints exist in the eye of the beholder really, different people have different thresholds for noise," he said.
Still, Mary Pat Clarke, Councilwoman for the 14th District of the Baltimore City Council, says that the number of complaints she continues to receive from community residents has not yet abated.
"I've received consistent complaints this year, especially in regards to properties located on and around the 300 block of East University Parkway," Clarke said.
"That section of University is where three neighborhoods converge and I've had multiple complaints from residents of all three."
A new ordinance was signed into law on Nov. 19 that will allow police to "padlock" or effectively shut down houses for a year that have received more than two complaints over six month period.
"We're writing letters first to landlords who own houses that are the site of serious illegal crimes, including drug dealing and underage drinking. We hope that giving these landlords a warning will be the best way to fix existing problems," Clarke said.
Despite the decrease in complaints, some students are still experiencing repeated calls from neighbors and local police regarding noise violations and have become frustrated at what they see as unreasonable expectations on the part of community residents.
Ongoing conflicts between fraternities and their neighbors seem to be occurring with fraternities that own or rent houses in particularly residential or quieter neighborhoods. Both the Alpha Epsilon Pi house and the Lambda Phi Epsilon house have received many more noise complaints than usual this year after moving houses, and members of both think it is due to neighbors who may be unaccustomed to living with noisier neighbors.
Students living in off-campus housing have tried to integrate themselves better with their neighbors, Bennett said, and have tried to become active and socially responsible members of their communities.
Marc Porosoff, president of Alpha Epsilon Pi, located near the 300 block of East University Parkway, noted that "under some guidance from the University we have tried hard to reach out to the community and join their association, but we have received little in return. It feels like no matter how much we do for the neighborhood, there will always be a few people who we cannot reach out to."
Bennett said that "Some groups have joined their neighborhood associations; many have participated in local clean-up efforts and volunteer opportunities. I have also noticed that, in my casual conversations with community members, I hear less mention about problems with specific Greek organizations or Greek life in general."
Rob Turning, Hopkins's Greek life coordinator, thought that students this year were more aware of their responsibility to be good neighbors and have modified their behavior accordingly.
"I think that fraternity officers have a better understanding of their personal liability when hosting events which encourages them to plan their parties better," Turning said.
Porosoff did express some frustration with the University, though, explaining that while Hopkins has offered students advice on dealing with difficult neighbors, the only permanent solution offered for fraternities with reoccurring problems has been relocation.
Turning is aware of these particular problems and said he understands the frustration that some students are feeling.
"I live in Hampden and live in a rowhouse; if my neighbor consistently slams their door or rolls their desk chair over hardwood floors, I go next door and ask them to quiet down or let them know that it bothers me," Turning said.
"Some of the complaints I have been informed of seem to be things that should be easily addressed between neighbors."
The best possible solution, in the eyes of both Hopkins students and Baltimore residents, still seems to be the creation of a fraternity row.
"The real way to solve these problems is with a stronger, more powerful and more organized Hopkins Greek system that works together to push for a Greek row," Porosoff said. "Hopkins really can't do much about people living in these houses around us, and we can do all we can to appease our neighbors, but the best long-term solution is a Greek row."
Clarke agrees. "We're been asking for a Greek row or something similar for years. I know the University has thought about it but its low on their list of priorities at the moment. I know that both the University and our district have more serious issues we'd like to focus on - it's ridiculous for all of us to have to deal constantly with the same problem."
