As a member of not only the college, but the Castleton community, I have become greatly aware of the disrespect students are treating this town with. Moving off campus onto South Street, I was quickly greeted with loud, obnoxious students welcoming each other back for another year.
I figured it would last only the first weekend or two, but here we are several weeks in and those students are still greeting me.
Before living on South Street, I was not fully aware how loud, rude and disrespectful the students of Castleton State College can be. Not only are the loud profanities that are shouted throughout the night inconsiderate, but what I find the most disrespectful act of all, is throwing beer cans, bottles and whatnot into community members’ yards.
Last weekend I witnessed a student chucking a fifth of alcohol across the street and saw the glass shattering to pieces across my elderly neighbor’s yard. I was astounded that a student felt it was okay to do such an act.
I awoke early the next morning – 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning, which is way too early for a college student — to go clean up the mess. As the cars whizzed by me, I crouched on the side of the street picking up pieces of glass from the night before. I felt it wasn’t right for community members to have to deal with cleaning up the glass.
Still, I felt something else needed to be done as I looked up and down the street. Bottles and cans were scattered everywhere, on the side of the road and all over yards. I walked up and down South Street and Main Street at 8 a.m. in the morning with a trash bag picking up bottles and cans so that my fellow community members would have one less reminder that they live in a college town.
Castleton is supposed to be the “small school with a big heart,” but where has this big heart disappeared to? The students run amuck, causing chaos wherever they go during the weekend nights. If we want to show this big heart, then the students of Castleton State College need to learn to have some respect for the members of the community they are apart of for the academic year.
I am thankful for this eye opening experience, for I am now fully aware of what community members have been going through for years. I would like to let the Castleton Community know that I am going to what I can to help keep this town in a bit more order. As one person I can only do so much, but in time I am hoping that others will join me and see what sort of impact we, as students, have on our town.

            – Katie Sault