ATO was definitely a blight on the neighborhood and its expulsion was long overdue–not just for the illegal hazing but also for the continued noise, nuisance and creation of poor relations between neighbors and college.

My observation is that after ATO’s expulsion, late night student antics substantially decreased. I believe this was (notice the past tense) primarily due to the College’s stepped up enforcement of its Student Code. After the tragic hazing death of ATO, we enjoyed a significantly increased presence of Campus Safety in the neighborhood. Patrol cars were a common and welcome sight on our streets–and the College seemed to make special efforts to encourage us to call Campus Safety immediately should we have any difficulties with students.

But that seems to have ended a few years ago. I rarely see Campus Security cars on neighborhood streets and the College’s outreach to us has definitely diminished. And now we have a rise in student-neighbor conflict.

Changing campus alcohol policies, in my view, will do little or nothing to solve the problems Ms. Oxford describes. College students will drink and sometimes get out of hand. We near the College live with that fact.

But that doesn’t excuse inaction by the College administration when excesses occur. The College Student Code is clear: “As members of the Occidental community, it is expected that students act as responsible members and citizens WITHIN BOTH THE COLLEGE AND LOCAL COMMUNITY. In the event a situation arises in which the Student Code of Conduct is broken, the Office of Student Conduct administers the student conduct process. This includes all violations of college policies WHETHER TAKING PLACE ON OR OFF CAMPUS, involving both individual students and student organizations” (emphasis added).

The College has the authority–and the responsibility–to enforce its policy. When the College takes a more laissez faire approach to student behavior problems in the neighborhood–as I believe it has for the last couple of years, even to the extent of apparent partiality to students over neighbors–problems escalate.

Rather than advocating changes to on campus alcohol policies, we should instead insist that the College enforce its own student policies and employ its resources to protect the property rights of its neighbors when those policies are breached.