Busted: Are off-campus residences coming under scrutiny?
Mandi DeGroff '12 / News Editor
Issue date: 11/4/09 Section: News
Partying at off-campus houses has undoubtedly become a staple of weekend plans for Wheaton students. This semester, however, there have been fewer parties than in the last three years, ever since the significant expansion of the off-campus community. Students feel that this is due, in part, to the large-scale crackdown on the social activities taking place at these residences. In short, both the off-campus community and the students who frequent their friends' houses feel that the Wheaton administration, as well as the Norton Police Department (NPD) are targeting them.
Anthony Coppola '11 and Chris Smart '11, who live off campus with two other housemates, have noticed a drastic change in the monitoring of off-campus residences this year. According to them, last year only two or three of their parties were broken up by NPD with little incident. At one of their parties earlier this year, however, NPD told Coppola and Smart they would be arrested if the NPD ever had to come to their residence again.
"[NPD] just said next time [you throw] a party you are arrested," said Smart. "They said nothing about underage drinking or anything."
Coppola reflected on NPD activity: "Last year we had a good amount of parties and we only saw the cops twice all year, and those times that they came they were justified [in breaking up the parties]."
Smart said, "This year was like a shock because last year [NPD] were cool and said we were a good group of kids that never gave them problems, but this year it's the complete opposite."
Off-Campus Senator Bello Mohammed El-Rufai '11, who lives with Zaheer Faizi '10 and one other housemate, said, "The other day the police showed up randomly on a Thursday night, and there were only four of us here and it was just really strange [for NPD] to show up when there are only five of us watching T.V."
Chelsea Petrozzo '10 and Katie Giuseppone '10 moved off campus in the spring semester of 2008. They too have noticed a change in NPD behavior addressing parties this year, although they have never had a party broken up by NPD.
Anthony Coppola '11 and Chris Smart '11, who live off campus with two other housemates, have noticed a drastic change in the monitoring of off-campus residences this year. According to them, last year only two or three of their parties were broken up by NPD with little incident. At one of their parties earlier this year, however, NPD told Coppola and Smart they would be arrested if the NPD ever had to come to their residence again.
"[NPD] just said next time [you throw] a party you are arrested," said Smart. "They said nothing about underage drinking or anything."
Coppola reflected on NPD activity: "Last year we had a good amount of parties and we only saw the cops twice all year, and those times that they came they were justified [in breaking up the parties]."
Smart said, "This year was like a shock because last year [NPD] were cool and said we were a good group of kids that never gave them problems, but this year it's the complete opposite."
Off-Campus Senator Bello Mohammed El-Rufai '11, who lives with Zaheer Faizi '10 and one other housemate, said, "The other day the police showed up randomly on a Thursday night, and there were only four of us here and it was just really strange [for NPD] to show up when there are only five of us watching T.V."
Chelsea Petrozzo '10 and Katie Giuseppone '10 moved off campus in the spring semester of 2008. They too have noticed a change in NPD behavior addressing parties this year, although they have never had a party broken up by NPD.
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