Community Clash: Students vs. Neighborhood
Joanie Hammes
Issue date: 10/28/05 Section: News
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Although Rockhurst, as a Jesuit institution, is one rooted in service-learning, the fact remains, Rockhurst is still a university, and the students are still "away at school." And when the proverbial cat is away, it is inevitable that the mice will play.
Almost every university comes equipped with what is known as "Greek Life," or chapters of fraternities and sororities. These organizations are designed to teach young adults, through camaraderie, academic excellence, and philanthropic involvement, how to become well-rounded men and women. One very important perk to being a member of a fraternity or sorority? The parties. It is no secret that members of Greek organizations are privy to more parties than any other groups on a college campus.
Larger, state schools, such as University of Kansas or University of Missouri, are located in what are considered "college towns," and the Greek housing is usually located on or near campus, in chapter houses. For a small school like Rockhurst, especially being located in the city, the picture of Greek life is painted a little differently. What happens when Greek Life is sharing space with the everyday life of urban Kansas City, Mo.?
During the reign of Father Kinerk as university president, the Rockhurst campus has undergone remarkable expansion and beautification. As the campus has expanded, Rockhurst University has become more and more a part of the surrounding neighborhood, literally as well as metaphorically. In recent years, both the neighborhoods and the Rockhurst students have been experiencing some growing pains, trying to get used to sharing the same space.
In the process of Rockhurst's expansion, what used to be "Greek Row," four on-campus houses for Rockhurst fraternities, were leveled and transformed into the parking lot adjacent to Richardson Science Center. Since then, there have been no formal fraternity chapter houses on Rockhurst campus, and the members have thus moved out into the surrounding community. By Rockhurst's standards, a fraternity house is considered Greek if its residences consist of four or more members of the fraternity or sorority. When this is the case, the house is bound by the rules for Greek Life set forth by Rockhurst - even though the residence life rules do not apply.
At this point, the Rockhurst students living in these types of houses get caught in legal tug-of-war when it comes to holding social functions in their homes. As members of Greek organizations, neighbors in the community, and citizens of Kansas City, Mo., these students are bound by laws and regulations which pull them in enough directions to make their heads spin.
At one end of this tug-of-war is the 49/63 neighborhood. 49/63 is the neighborhood coalition serving the area from 49th to 63rd Streets, and from The Paseo to Oak. This neighborhood coalition has been at its wits end in regard to the level of noise produced by Rockhurst parties in the area.
Ruth Austin is Combat Coordinator for 49/63, and works with the neighborhood residents as well as the Community Action Network (CAN). She works with residents as an advocate for any type of negative quality of life situations. She sees the parties in the neighborhood as an issue of peace disturbance. Austin points out that some of the complaints from the 49/63 residents include large parties spilling out into the streets, sidewalks and yards; party goers cutting through properties; noise; and at times even public urination. She considers these problems a by-product of parties that obviously get out of control. "This problem has become total disorder and disturbance," says Austin. "We all know it's very easy for the most well-intentioned people to lose control of their guests."
Rockhurst's Greek Risk Management policy for all Greek organizations states that whole houses are allowed to hold private parties, and the Event Management Registration Form lists some regulations in regard to noise. Sunday to Wednesday, houses are to be shut down by 2 a.m., with music off by 1:30. Thursday to Saturday, the houses are to be shut down by 3 a.m. and music is to be lowered by 2:00 and off by 2:30. These rules seriously conflict with those set forth by 49/63, which state that noise is limited after 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and by 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
What rules are the students to follow? The answer may lie within the laws of Kansas City, Mo. Noise is enforced in Chapter 46 of the Municipal ordinances. While the ordinance addresses issues such as firearms and animals, it also addresses noise like loud music and televisions. It indicates that any type of amplified sound that is played "at any time in such a manner as to create a noise disturbance across a real property boundary or within a noise-sensitive zone" is in violation of the noise ordinance. Kansas City, Mo. also carries a disorderly house ordinance (#50-165), which prohibits a house "where drunkenness or boisterous conduct is encouraged or permitted." The sections in these ordinances do not indicate any time specification. A violation of the ordinance at any time, still constitutes a violation. 49/63 has set forth the time constraints in an attempt to compromise with the residences who still wish to have parties.
However, is 11 p.m. a realistic expectation for a fraternity, or any college student? The 49/63 neighborhood is not contending with the likes of John Belushi's character in the comedy "Animal House." The members of the Rockhurst fraternities are upstanding members of the community, who have a cumulative GPA above a 3.0. Those living in the fraternity houses are doing their best to find a middle ground that will work in favor for everyone involved. Ryan Wessels, an officer of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, says, "We are trying to be proactive and attempt to stay quiet." Wessels indicates that the residents in his house on Virginia pooled their money to erect a privacy fence, in an attempt to contain the noise. The fraternities also make an effort to alert the neighborhood to when they plan to have functions, in order to prepare them for potential noise. Eric Enright, who also lives in the house on Virginia, says, "I don't wan t to say 'just live with it' - I want to be a good neighbor." Ruth Austin agrees that she has seen efforts made by the university as well as students living in the area to try and improve the situation. "Each one we've met have been wonderful, nice young people" she says.
Austin remembers a comment from one resident who experienced a party recently, who said she felt like the party was being held by adults. When Austin hears the students living in the area promise to do their best to be proactive about the problem, she remains hopeful. But, she also says, "Consistent peace-disturbing behavior does not reflect that." She notes that while students are willing to turn down music when a neighbor calls, she feels it is unacceptable that the call should have to be at 4 a.m.
Many fraternity members feel as though their houses are being singled out in the neighborhood. A "chronic house" list allegedly names ten houses in the neighborhood frequently called on by police. The top five houses are rumored to be fraternity houses, with the subsequent houses being drug houses. "I have never heard of such a list," says Captain Rich Lockhart, of the KCPD media relations. Ruth Austin agrees that there is no prejudice specifically against Rockhurst students or the fraternities. "Absolutely not," she says. "It's not necessarily a fraternity thing."
Some students such as Senior Lucas Schwaller of Tau Kappa Epsilon remain angry about the treatment they have received. "I have lived in a fraternity house for nearly two years and problems have never been this bad. We do our best to offer service to the community and keep noise to a minimum, but we are thanked by police pounding on our door. I don't see that as being very neighborly."
As the Combat Coordinator in the 49/63 neighborhood, Austin takes her position very seriously, and is passionate about maintaining a good quality of life for the residences in the neighborhood, while at the same time maintaining a good relationship with Rockhurst. "We're proud of Rockhurst," she says. "We're proud of the students." While she doesn't want to take away from the students' "college experience," she attests that there must be a more respectful way for the students to live in the area. Austin is emphatic on the idea of having the parties in places that she would consider more suitable surroundings. "Out of control, loud parties...cannot take place in this neighborhood any more than in their own parents' neighborhood."
The Rockhurst students and other residents of the 49/63 neighborhood will need to soon find a common ground. Struggle as it may be, it is part of the growing pains which come with not only sharing a neighborhood with a university, but also with becoming the well-rounded adults that fraternities and sororities seek to produce.
Editor's Note
At the time of press, the Sentinel received reports that on the evenings of Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22 two student houses were raided by the Kansas City Police Department. These were some of the same houses that had been noted as being problem houses by the neighborhood.
According to sources in both cases, undercover police officers were involved in the monitoring of student house parties and then subsequent arrests.
In one case, officers allegedly posed as students, paid to enter a party where alcohol was being served, and then upon observing the situation made arrests for running an illegal business.
In the other case, officers were stationed in cars along the street or circling the house. They videotaped what occurred and then descended upon the house to make arrests for various violations including public urination and intoxication. One student said that the officers indicated they were there to "send a message".
If police were there to send a message from the neighborhood association, it could open in a new chapter in an already increasingly volatile situation. The Sentinel will continue to monitor any developments in this ongoing story as they occur.