The Residents of Williams Street, a local neighborhood association, has been more active than ever this semester in response to a perceived increase in off-campus parties hosted by Brown students.
Many Williams Street residents have complained that they have been disrupted by Brown students partying at all hours, playing loud music, leaving trash in the neighborhood and slamming car doors, among other things, said Anne Hersh, the association's spokeswoman.
University administrators met with members of the association earlier this semester to hear their concerns, according to Margaret Klawunn, associate vice president for campus life and dean for student life. Students living in houses that were reportedly causing problems were called in for dean's hearings. As a result, complaints from the residents have ceased completely in the past month, Klawunn said.
A possible reason for the increase in partying could be the greater concentration of Brown students living off-campus this year in comparison to previous years, Klawunn said.
"I don't think that the residents should have to deal with this kind of stuff at all, but I think we have been very responsive to the residents and the behavior has improved and complaints have stopped," Klawunn said.
Despite the halt in complaints, Hersh said she believes there has been little change in the disruption caused by off-campus parties.
"When the kids come back at the end of January, I don't think anyone is expecting improvement," she said. In a Nov. 16 Providence Journal article, Hersh elaborated on these concerns, saying she believes Brown can do more to discipline its off-campus students. She noted that the University of Rhode Island has banned alcohol from all of its on-campus events and has formed a coalition between police and community members to crack down on large parties held by off-campus students.
"I feel that starting a coalition that's modeled on the URI-Narragansett coalition would be the most helpful," Hersh told The Herald.
"It's probably a good thing that the sex party became public information to the extent that it did because it shows what is going on at Brown in regards to alcohol consumption," she said in reference to a segment on Sex Power God featured on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor."
"I think that the University must be more responsible in showing how alcohol can create problems when it is not indulged in sensibly," Hersh said. "I don't think that any member of the Brown community wants to be so intoxicated that they have to be rushed to the emergency room. ... I know Brown is very concerned with maintaining a liberal image, but the two are not mutually exclusive. You can have a liberal image and no requirements and still encourage sensible alcohol consumption and neighborly relations."
A landlord who owns several properties on Williams Street said local residents should expect to live with a certain level of disruption by virtue of living near Brown's campus.
"It's a student area, so students make noise," said the landlord, who wished to remain anonymous. "It's a natural part of living near Brown University. Students are going to party. ... I think the amount of flexibility of the residents is important. You can go to Brown and make a hullabaloo, or you can stick a pair of earplugs in your ears for three dollars."
