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Council addresses off-campus student behavior
by Jillian Wagner
News Editor
News | 9/16/08
Posted online at 5:23 AM EST on 9/16/08
Waltham city councilors discussed the recent concerns about student behavior off campus, as well as Brandeis' recent request for a lodging license for the Ridgewood Residence Halls, in the License and Franchising Committee meeting last night, according to Waltham City Council Vice President Paul Brasco.
The request for the Ridgewood lodging license was deemed controversial at last week's City Council meeting. During that meeting, several councilors objected to the fact that Brandeis waited until Ridgewood's construction was nearly complete before requesting a lodging license. The objections transitioned into complaints about recent behavior by Brandeis students living off-campus.
"At last week's council meeting, I expressed frustration to [Brandeis representatives] about [students living off-campus]," Brasco said. "It needs to be dealt with. And this is not just regarding Brandeis; it's Bentley students too."
Ward 7 Councilor Joe Giordano, the representative for Brandeis' ward, explained to the Justice, "The problem is mainly from late-night parties, especially because students live next door to families or elderly couples who obviously have very different lifestyles. We used to get complaints all the time, which is why I was a great advocate when Brandeis wanted to increase on-campus housing so that we could avoid problems off campus."
Brasco said to the Justice, "I'm not trying to discourage or destroy any of the college behavior or college years from the young people. I was the same way when I was in college but not to the detriment of people who lived around me. I'm just asking if students can come to this community with respect and responsibility and to be courteous to their neighbors and the police and abide by what they are told to do."
Brasco said that a lieutenant from the Waltham police department contacted Brasco after the initial council meeting and told him that the number of calls from residents complaining about Brandeis students off-campus has gone down in recent years.
The request for the Ridgewood lodging license was deemed controversial at last week's City Council meeting. During that meeting, several councilors objected to the fact that Brandeis waited until Ridgewood's construction was nearly complete before requesting a lodging license. The objections transitioned into complaints about recent behavior by Brandeis students living off-campus.
"At last week's council meeting, I expressed frustration to [Brandeis representatives] about [students living off-campus]," Brasco said. "It needs to be dealt with. And this is not just regarding Brandeis; it's Bentley students too."
Ward 7 Councilor Joe Giordano, the representative for Brandeis' ward, explained to the Justice, "The problem is mainly from late-night parties, especially because students live next door to families or elderly couples who obviously have very different lifestyles. We used to get complaints all the time, which is why I was a great advocate when Brandeis wanted to increase on-campus housing so that we could avoid problems off campus."
Brasco said to the Justice, "I'm not trying to discourage or destroy any of the college behavior or college years from the young people. I was the same way when I was in college but not to the detriment of people who lived around me. I'm just asking if students can come to this community with respect and responsibility and to be courteous to their neighbors and the police and abide by what they are told to do."
Brasco said that a lieutenant from the Waltham police department contacted Brasco after the initial council meeting and told him that the number of calls from residents complaining about Brandeis students off-campus has gone down in recent years.
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