Jacob Fuhrer & Emily Neelon |
A few weeks after the new semester has begun, students are already looking to blow off steam by hosting parties at their off-campus homes. But some North Portland neighbors say this partying has led to excessive noise and property damage.
Social media websites like Facebook and nextdoor.com, a site that brands itself as a private social network for neighborhoods, are reporting disturbances in and around the University Park neighborhood, causing controversy about who is responsible for the noise and damage.
Some of these angered neighbors even caught the attention of KOIN news, which ran a story about alleged damage to a resident’s car by UP students, although that claim was unverified.
One North Portland resident, Ken, who asked for his last name to be withheld, said he has witnessed intoxicated students throwing bottles, trying to tip over a car and trying to pick a fight with his son’s friend. At one party held near his house, Ken estimates 300 students were there by the time the police showed up to shut the party down.
“That’s the most common view of the University of Portland student,” Ken said. “Some drunken, arrogant, spoiled brat who came to school to spend mommy and daddy’s money and do whatever they want because that’s what they do at home.”
Ken, who has lived in the neighborhood for 10 years, said it is usually quiet over the summer, but this year the partying never stopped.
“Everybody turns the other way because they’re ‘good kids’ or whatever,” he said.
Maribeth McGowan, the School of Education program counselor, said although students sometimes throw beer cans, the partying hasn’t been too bad. However, after living in the neighborhood for 20 years, McGowan said she has grown cynical about how some students deface the houses they rent.
“I blame the renters for not taking care of the houses,” McGowan said. “The houses are trashed. That’s what really bothers me. They aren’t kept up.”
Despite some neighbors' annoyance, Director of Public Safety Gerald Gregg said off-campus complaints have been minimal this year. Social media websites have also made it easier for people to exchange information about their student neighbors, he said.
When things get out of hand, Gregg said residents will occasionally call his office in addition to posting online. On average, Public Safety receives two to four calls per weekend, according to Gregg.
The weather also appears to influence the number students’ off-campus gatherings. According to Gregg, he gets more calls on warm nights than on cool, rainy ones.
Gregg said Public Safety is not in the business of squashing parties or preventing students from having fun.
“We don’t tell people they can’t have friends over and guests in their house,” he said. Rather, Gregg says students are expected to be considerate and respectful of their neighbors who want evening hours to be quiet.
According to some residents in the neighborhood, this expectation is upheld most nights.
“Usually it [the noise] stops about midnight,” said Dan, a resident of McKenna Avenue for 34 years. He said that noise levels have decreased in recent years.
Chris Shelley, who moved to University Park in June, echoed Dan’s standpoint. He remembered hearing party noise recently, but says that it quieted down by 11 p.m.
The neighbors’ experience is in line with Public Safety’s goal for the local area.
“We want it to be a very livable place,” Gregg said, “not Animal House, not Greek Row.”
To meet this objective, Gregg also encourages students to take advantage of the activities UP plans on evenings and weekends.
The encouragement seems to be working. University Park resident Kristin Marchesi said the night of Saturday, Aug. 30, was a quiet. That may in part be because many students attended Riverboat, an official UP event featuring live music and games on the new River Campus.
Junior Markus Fuchs says more UP events geared towards upperclassmen are necessary to keep students occupied.
“When you’re 21 and it’s the weekend, you want to hang with friends, play beer pong, or have some drinks,” Fuchs says. “There’s not much offered on campus for us.”
Fuchs believes hosting these events will lure more upperclassmen onto campus, reducing the possibility of negative interactions with neighbors.
He added that he spent time at a gathering last weekend with friends, and that neighbors not only condoned the party, but attended it as well.
Gregg remains hopeful that students will be courteous to their neighbors and find less rambunctious ways to entertain themselves.
“I really believe in my heart that our students are polite, considerate, and act appropriately,” he said.
Gregg’s advice for party planners
- Call Public Safety and alert them to any planned gatherings.
- After 10 PM, keep noise levels down or move the gathering into the basement.
- Closely monitor who attends your party and DO NOT let strangers enter your home or backyard.
- If alcohol will be present, be sure to keep it out of the hands of minors.
- Remember that as the host, you are responsible for your guests and for all that happens during your event.
- Remind your guests to keep voices down as they walk back to their residences.
- Emily Neelon and Malika Andrews contributed reporting.
