INC NEWS - Duke seeks a party sentinel (N&O)

[John Schelp]

Duke seeks a party sentinel
N&O, 22 July 2005

"Party pooper" might not be in the official job
description, but Duke University plans to hire someone
to help quell complaints about late-night beer bashes
and other student activities disrupting the quality of
life in near-campus neighborhoods.

Residents in Trinity Park and other Duke border
neighborhoods have asked the administration for years
to appoint a community liaison who would focus on
off-campus student behavioral problems.

Stephen Bryan, associate dean for judicial affairs at
Duke, said funding was approved this summer for a new
program coordinator responsible for overseeing the
undergraduate disciplinary process and fostering
better town-gown relations.

"The position, the main thrust, will be helping to
create an atmosphere of respect among our residents
and our students," Bryan said. "I don't think we
envision this person carrying a beeper. It's not
someone who a neighbor's going to call at two o'clock
in the morning and say, 'Come fix this.' What we hope
is there will be a lot of proactive work and we won't
need that."

As happens in many other college communities, Durham
residents who live near Duke often are plagued by the
noise, vandalism, litter, public urination, brawls and
other disturbances associated with undergraduate
parties and binge drinking.

In recent years, university administrators have
launched strict efforts to curb on-campus drinking.
Fraternities and sororities also have cracked down on
in-house parties. The effect, according to police, has
been to push the partying off campus.

Trinity Park residents are so tired of the late-night
keggers that a group got together earlier this year
and bought some of the properties where rowdy students
lived. By controlling who goes into the homes, the
residents hope to restore a quality of life that has
been fleeting in their neighborhood.

They say the new job at Duke is a positive step. The
job description was posted on Duke employment sites
last week. Bryan said he hopes to have someone on
board by September.

"Anything that helps keep the peace and makes the
students be better citizens is a good thing," said
Ellen Dagenhart, a Trinity Park resident. "What we
really need is somebody we could call at 2 in the
morning, but I'm willing to see how this works."