Maybe it was the nice weather over the three-day weekend, or maybe it was just the back-to-school excitement. But whatever it was, Georgetown students partied hard last weekend, according to members of the Student Neighborhood Assistance Program (SNAP).
“There were so many students in the street late at night and a couple of parties with their front doors open,” said Interim Coordinator of Off Campus Student Life Scott Minto, who was patrolling the Georgetown neighborhood as a part of the SNAP team.
Interim Director of Off Campus Student Life Chuck VanSant agreed. “I saw a lot of traffic and a lot of trash,” he said.
While SNAP, an organization comprised of Georgetown employees who respond to complaints by neighborhood residences and warn students of potential violations before the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department is called, only filed six complaints over the weekend, a normal amount, the team noticed an abnormal amount of student crowds, noise and trash.
This is especially troubling to VanSant, who spends much of his time advocating for students who live in the Georgetown neighborhood. “I stick up for the students, but I need students to give me something I can defend,” he said.
Many administrators are worried that last weekend was a preview of weekends to come. While unruly student parties are not unusual, the consequences of disturbing the neighborhood are much higher this year.
Each construction project Georgetown plans to build within the next few years, including a performing arts center and athletic facilities, must be approved by the D.C. Zoning Commission. Before construction starts on each building project, the Zoning Commission holds meetings to decide whether or not to approve the building. At each of these hearings, the same complaints are repeatedly raised against the University: Georgetown students are too noisy too late and they create an unwieldy amount of litter around the neighborhood. If these problems ever become too much of a problem and residents feel the university is not taking the proper measures to stop the behavior, the Zoning Commission could vote not to approve Georgetown’s building projects.
“It has become an issue of whether or not the University will be able to become a better and more modern institution,” said VanSant.
“Most of our neighbors are tolerant of reasonable student behavior. But the behavior I saw-public drunkenness, shouting, public urinating-I’ll have a hard time defending,” VanSant said.
