Saturday, August 25, 2007 12:32 AM CDT
City, EIU emphasize student neighborliness
By ROB STROUD, Staff Writer
rstroud@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON — As a resident of Charleston, Mayor John Inyart said he appreciates it when his student neighbors offer their cell phone number to him before hosting a party.
Sharing a cell phone number is a simple act that helps improve neighborhood relations between students and full-time Charleston residents while heading off problems that might necessitate calls to the police, Inyart said.
The city and Eastern Illinois University have both launched campaigns to encourage students to get to know their neighbors and local laws. The city has started distributing a “Community Welcome” guide to students and Eastern plans to distribute “The Guide: A Social Planning Guide for Students by Students.”
“Oftentimes a single knock at the door and introducing yourself to your neighbors goes a long way,” said City Manager Scott Smith.
Smith said various city departments, particularly the police, individually have provided essential information to students over the years. He said the “Community Welcome” guide has combined these efforts into one.
The guide’s exterior covers property maintenance, occupancy limits, and smart neighboring tips. The police insert covers city ordinances regarding parties and alcohol. The fire insert covers smoke/carbon monoxide detectors, tips for avoiding alcohol-related emergencies, open burning, and fire hazards. They all include contact information.
City police officers, firefighter-paramedics, and building and development services employees have been going door to door to distribute the guides to student renters. Employees at the water billing office have also been passing out copies to customers.
“A cooperative effort works much better,” said Police Chief Paul Welch.
EIU’s guide was made possible by the university Health Service through a grant from the Illinois Higher Education Center. Rachel Fisher, health communication and marketing specialist with Health Service, said the grant funded an alcohol-free tailgate party last fall that generated great feedback from participants.
Fisher said Health Service conducted pilot studies and student focus groups this spring to brainstorm other good-neighbor programs for students. She said two undergraduate interns took this information and helped draft the guide.
“This is the voice of the students speaking. They want to be good neighbors,” Fisher said.
The guide covers ways to be a good neighbor, social planning, guidelines for going out, party hosting, recognizing alcohol poisoning and drug overdoses, avoiding trouble, interacting with the police, and contact information.
Fisher said the copies will be distributed Sept. 4-6 during community “meet and greets.” She said teams of faculty, staff, students and community members will go door to door to give the guide and welcome bags of Charleston information to student renters. She said volunteers can participate by calling Health Service at 581-7786.
In addition, Fischer said Health Service will work with landlords starting next week to periodically distribute door hangings about being a good neighbor, partying safely and alcohol poisoning.
Daniel Nadler, vice president for student affairs, said the two guidebook campaigns will help hopefully help build better relationships between students and their neighbors. He said students will then be more conscious about keeping the noise down at parties or parking too close to their neighbors’ driveways, as examples.
Students learn academic lessons at Eastern but they also learn life lessons while living in Charleston, Nadler said.
“It’s about preparing future leaders and part of that leadership is about being a good citizen and a good neighbor,” Nadler said.
Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 348-5734.
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HisChild wrote on Aug 25, 2007 12:08 PM: