Students,

With the winter semester underway, it is important to remain mindful that noise and nuisance complaints from neighbors of off-campus, non-college owned housing has prompted increased scrutiny and enforcement by the Lewiston Police Department. This past weekend, there were a number of complaints reported by neighbors involving both off-campus houses and certain student residences on Frye Street that resulted in a number of citations being issued by law enforcement.

As many of you know, we have been working actively with neighbors and public officials to foster better relations with local residents. We are in regular communication with the Lewiston Police Department and other municipal officials to address these reasonable concerns and to attend to the social interests of students. Please be aware that local law enforcement will maintain a visible presence in the neighborhoods surrounding campus with increased attention to potential violations of municipal ordinances as well as state laws with respect to underage consumption of alcohol and open containers.

The Office of Campus Life continues to increase the number of social events on campus, offering resources to support student-led programs and events, such as Wind Down Weekends, Late at Bates, and party registration. In addition, enhancements have been made to 280 Underground and the Little Room over the winter break. 280 is now outfitted with improved acoustics, new dimmable LED lighting, and a built-in sound system. Similarly, the Little Room in Chase Hall is also receiving an upgrade. All sound, projection, and A/V equipment in both the dance room and the game room now have higher quality sound and are easier to use. You’ll find the TV now carries cable to complement the new sound system. The game room has been enlarged, too, with a change in the location of the main door. There may be even more upgrades slated for this summer. We hope these improvements and additions will make events even better.

We are aware that these issues are challenging, but we must continue to work together to rethink social life on and off-campus. There are three specific things that we can do to be respectful neighbors:

1. Host social gatherings on campus and take full advantage of the many weekend events on campus. We need students to lead this effort with us.
2. Avoid moving through the neighborhoods surrounding campus in large groups, which is often what causes the disruption, and avoid going to off-campus residences unless you have been invited. This will keep the neighborhood situation calm and lessen the risk of more serious interactions with law enforcement.
3. Refrain from walking around the neighborhoods, streets, or campus with open containers of alcohol.

We truly appreciate all that you are doing to create a vibrant and fun environment on campus; it was great seeing so many of you enjoying all of the programming this fall. There are also a number of upcoming events that we encourage you to attend, including Club 280, Casino Night, and Winter Carnival.

Sincerely,

Kim Trauceniek, Associate Dean of Students for Campus Life

Carl Steidel, Senior Associate Dean of Students