As a resident of the now semi-infamous 15 Whitman, I would like to clear our good names in an attempt to highlight the true underlying situation of recent allegations. First, as social beings struggling against the apathetic current of academia, we do "figure out how to have fun" about once a week "without letting everyone in the neighborhood know about it" ("Good fences and good neighbors," Dec. 7).
Yes, most Tufts students are smart, and for the most part can co-exist peacefully with their neighbors without keeping them awake. We have only hosted two big parties all semester, one of which was actually sponsored by the Tufts Democrats, which happened to get out of hand. Before the Kegs for Kerry party, we let our neighbors know what our plans were so that they could call us if they had a problem instead of going straight to the police.
Unfortunately, despite our initial attempts to engage in amicable compromise, the cops were still called and we were still fined. Secondly, the problems we are experiencing are shared by many off-campus houses - at times, houses have been fined $100 per resident for a first offense - a hefty sum for a house of eight, for a single noise violation. The fact that we have been singled out by not only our dear Tufts community, but also our friendly Somerville neighborhood makes our situation exceptional.
Instead of nominating scapegoats for bad community relations, perhaps we should venture into the deeper causes of our predicament, which I believe stomp on the fabricated "giant fences of class and attitudes." We have tried to engage our neighbors, and will continue to do so, even though we will be more careful to better regulate any social gatherings under our roof.
It is unfortunate that the Somerville community cannot work with Tufts students who try to reach out. What is equally unfortunate is the lack of a social life on campus. My brother ran into some random acquaintances on the T on his way home the night of our second party. When they asked about his plans for the evening, he said he would probably be hanging out at his brother's house. To which they replied, "Well, if you feel like coming out, we hear there's a party at 15 Whitman." What ever happened to freshman year at the frats?
Have shutdowns at frats made socializing on-campus so unappealing? Perhaps Tufts should think about working on community relations within our own high and mighty fences before trying to bolster our reputation around the block.
If Tufts had alternatives to socializing on the acutely under-surveillance frat scene, then maybe underclassmen would have better options than crowding unknown off-campus parties.
So instead of writing preachy editorials insinuating that the fences between us and our Somerville neighbors are based on "class" and attitudes, I would ask you to reconsider the moral high ground perhaps we all think we stand on. It is that kind of remark that reflects a condescending attitude of Tufts students towards the surrounding community. It is also that kind of remark that polarizes our own big fenced-in Hill. The relationships we really need to work on first are within our own silvery gates.
Michael Doyle and Karina Lorenzana are both seniors majoring in International Relations.
