Can students and residents co-exist?

Students of Castleton State College received an email from President Dave Wolk on Sept. 17 about the number of complaints the school has received from the local residents.

In the email titled “Being Good Neighbors,” Wolk essentially pleaded with students to be more respectful.

“Since the beginning of the semester we have had more than the usual complaints of neighbors who live close to the college especially on Glenbrook Road and Main Street, related to late night-early morning disrespectful behavior,” he wrote. He said in the email that neither the school nor local law enforcement will tolerate this type of behavior and ended it with “I expect you to kindly consider all of our neighbors as you would your own family, treating them with the respect they deserve.”

Wolk’s email may have been intended to help bridge the gap between the Castleton residents and students, but it might have had the opposite effect based on comments from students.

“I think the residents are overreacting, what do they expect kids to do on the weekends, its college you know?” asked senior Jeremy Cohen.

 Other students echoed Cohen’s comments.

“We need to be more respectful {to the residents} I can agree with that, but they need to be aware that they are in a college town and stuff like that is going to happen,” said Leah Ryan another Castleton senior.

But some students said they believe even though the residents might be overreacting, there is more the students can do to help the situation.

“Instead of hiding their beer and waiting to get to the party to be loud they are yelling, throwing beer cans in yards, and getting into fights in the middle of the street! They just need to be smart,” said Castleton senior Courtney Bates.

While some students said they hope the issue goes away, others have their doubts it will.

“I don’t think the students and residents can coexist,” Cohen said. “The majority of the residents don’t like the college kids despite what we bring to the town and its economy, and we don’t like them because they always complain about us, it’s just the way it is.”   

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