Molinari has tips to avoid party trouble

Are you tired of parties getting busted by the police? An unlikely source is offering tips on having parties but avoiding getting in trouble.

It essentially comes down to avoiding the huge off-campus parties, said Public Safety Director Keith Molinari.

“I advocate for students over 21 to enjoy alcohol responsibly and when they gather, it’s better if it’s an invited group of friends where everybody knows each other as opposed to an uninvited animal house kind of party,” he said. “Do it in a way that is a small controlled group of friends, not an uninvited free for all. That, every time, will draw the attention of police and Public Safety.”

With several smaller parties, the large mobs of freshmen that wander the streets looking for parties will be reduced and it will also keep the town quiet and litter free, he added.

A Castleton student, who also is a part-time local police officer, agreed with Molinari.

“The majority of the time we break up parties it isn’t because of people partying. We are normally responding to a noise complaint,” said Ronnie Taylor, a patrolman for Fair Haven and Granville police departments.

Though bigger house parties are fun, students say they can also be difficult to control.

“Every time we have a party, it starts out as a small get-together then it gets crazy,” said sophomore Antonio Nassivera, a second-year student who lives on Cemetery Drive.

The traditional large Castleton house parties are usually filled to the brim with students with back packs, and very cramped. They also get quite hot and the smell of beer, vape, and body odor often fills the living room or basement to the point where it gets hard to see.

“Smaller parties are better,” said senior Katie Feeney when asked which she preferred.

“Smaller parties create an environment where there is no beef, just good vibes of people getting along and having real opportunities to run pong tables and card games,” added freshman Sophia Buckley-Clement.

“With larger parties, you have no idea who is at your house and whether or not they’re trustworthy. I am often worried that people will take my things or break something,” Feeney said.

And the cost of having these big parties is starting to take a toll, and not just worries about broken or stolen stuff, Molinari said.

“The police are now contacting the landlords and telling them to control their tenants,” he said.

That could mean leases could be revoked or harder to get in the coming years.

But are small house parties possible?

Senior Jake Woodside hosted an invite-only party and he said “it was fun.”

“Me and my friends kicking back after a long week, listening to our music and having some beers with a lot of laughs,” he said describing the scene. “I like big parties, but with the way the cops keep shutting them down, small parties are a good alternative.”

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