Spring Break
Editorial: In-the-know
Issue date: 11/18/08 Section: Editorial/Opinion
11/18/08 - For those University of Rhode Island students who have said "goodbye" to their dormitory days and "hello" to living off-campus, it comes as no surprise that living Down the Line brings a whole new set of responsibilities.
Suddenly you've got cable and electricity bills to pay, more square feet to clean, not to mention the excitement - or misfortune, as some see it - of cooking your own meals. There's also the pleasure of the daily commute to campus and, of course, the trials of being a respectful tenant and a good neighbor.
And while most are willing to take on these responsibilities as an alternative to sharing a humble dorm room with one or two people, sometimes students overlook one responsibility.
When moving off-campus, members of the URI community become members of other communities. Since a large amount of the off-campus student population is concentrated in Narragansett, it's up to these students to make their presence known in positive ways.
Student residents are, for the most part, grossly underrepresented at most of Narragansett's public meetings. In effect, our voice is weak and decisions are made without our two cents.
So, here's your chance to change that. Tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Narragansett Town Hall, the Narragansett - URI Coalition will meet to discuss policies regarding underage consumption of alcohol use and partying.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with what the coalition does, it's a group intended for permanent Narragansett residents and the URI community to discuss issues that can arise as a result of noisy parties and excessive alcohol use of attendees.
Especially for those planning on hosting or attending parties this weekend, it's a good idea to be in-the-know about what can happen in instances of underage drinking and noisy
gatherings.
Town Hall is easy to find, and there are directions available on the community's Web site - so, don't think of using that one as an excuse.
And while you're at it, try to make it a habit of attending these meetings. It can't hurt.
Suddenly you've got cable and electricity bills to pay, more square feet to clean, not to mention the excitement - or misfortune, as some see it - of cooking your own meals. There's also the pleasure of the daily commute to campus and, of course, the trials of being a respectful tenant and a good neighbor.
And while most are willing to take on these responsibilities as an alternative to sharing a humble dorm room with one or two people, sometimes students overlook one responsibility.
When moving off-campus, members of the URI community become members of other communities. Since a large amount of the off-campus student population is concentrated in Narragansett, it's up to these students to make their presence known in positive ways.
Student residents are, for the most part, grossly underrepresented at most of Narragansett's public meetings. In effect, our voice is weak and decisions are made without our two cents.
So, here's your chance to change that. Tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Narragansett Town Hall, the Narragansett - URI Coalition will meet to discuss policies regarding underage consumption of alcohol use and partying.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with what the coalition does, it's a group intended for permanent Narragansett residents and the URI community to discuss issues that can arise as a result of noisy parties and excessive alcohol use of attendees.
Especially for those planning on hosting or attending parties this weekend, it's a good idea to be in-the-know about what can happen in instances of underage drinking and noisy
gatherings.
Town Hall is easy to find, and there are directions available on the community's Web site - so, don't think of using that one as an excuse.
And while you're at it, try to make it a habit of attending these meetings. It can't hurt.
