The beginning of the Duke school year is full of traditions: move-in, convocation, signing the Community Standard—and partying off East Campus.
As the fall semester gets underway, students and Durham residents living near East are butting heads about the off-campus party scene, as they have been for years.
Last fall the Duke University Police Department began joint patrols with the Durham Police Department in an extended jurisdiction off East. Those patrols were out in full force the first few weeks of the semester, but residents in the Trinity Park and Trinity Heights neighborhoods say they’ve seen an increased presence this year over last.
Many students have already complained that police are breaking up too many parties, sometimes even showing up at small get-togethers that are not generating excessive noise.
Senior Billy Fennebresque, who lives in a Trinity Park house on Urban Street, said at least three parties were broken up by the police Wednesday night.
“Standing on my front porch you could see four or five cops,” he said.
Paul Montgomery, a three-year resident of Watts and Urban streets in Trinity Park, has also noticed more police in the area.
He mentioned, however, that students at a party near his home Wednesday “seemed to be able to police themselves pretty well.”
Although Montgomery said he is understanding of college students’ desire to drink, he noted that many residents are unhappy with the noise and trash generated by parties.
Josh Parker, a community activist and former Trinity Park resident, said the number of police officers rose because neighbors complained to University administrators.
“The increased presence by the police is due to the communication between the University and the neighborhood groups,” Parker said.
Parker added that he hopes continued communication will help the long-strained relationship between students and neighbors improve in the coming year.
University administrators are also taking a hands-on approach in easing off-campus tensions.
Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta, Dean of Students and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Sue Wasiolek and Interim DUPD Chief Robert Dean began visiting students’ off-East houses Thursday night and will continue Friday evening.
“Our goal is to meet the student residents, introduce ourselves, remind them of some of the concerns that have been expressed by the neighbors [and] answer any questions that the students might have,” Wasiolek said. “My hope is that students can continue to enjoy their lives off campus, have fun, have parties but at the same time be responsible members of the community. I believe those two goals are compatible.”
Soon those students will have another administrator nearby: Provost Peter Lange is planning to move off East to Markham Street. He said his decision to move had nothing to do with the escalating controversy about student parties.
“I am moving there because I want to,” Lange said. “I am looking forward to having people off East as neighbors.”
Despite police and individual efforts to stymie the partying problem, many neighbors and students do not think the campus social scene will drastically change in the coming weeks.
“There’s going to be parties most weekends, and most of those parties will get broken up around 2 a.m.,” senior Brandon Foose said. “It’s up to the person throwing the party to decide how responsible they want to be.”
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