Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

A Garbage Policy

As winter gives way to spring and students living off campus begin to worry about things other than an icy sidewalk, it becomes increasingly obvious that the Office of Neighborhood Life’s neglectfully vague and unnecessarily punitive policies need a breath of fresh air.

Recently, the ONL sent a reminder to students warning against such public displays with the threat that violations would be met with, among other consequences, fines of up to $200.

Policies like this show that there exists a real need for increased dialogue between the community of students living off campus and those tasked with creating such policies.

Because of this lack of communication between the ONL and off-campus residents, there are basic ambiguities on the qualifications of “publicly displayed trash receptacles” that makes it such that fines of $200 are unnecessarily punitive for students that may not have known they were in the wrong.

For some unlucky seniors, these obscure fines might even prevent them from graduating.

Such arguably unfair punishments stem from a misconception held by the ONL that Georgetown students living off campus are seen as unruly and disorderly.

Georgetown students, on the other hand, misconstrue the ONL simply as the culprit behind the barrage of emails and punishments.

The fact remains, nonetheless, that such a relationship is toxic not only to the university’s relationship to the student body, but also nurtures a climate of distrust and resentment.

Both students and administrators should alternatively seek to bridge the communication gap that leads to misunderstandings and animosity.

On the ONL’s part, this can be done through a clarification of policy. Students, on the other hand, should step up and be more attentive to the ONL’s requirements.
This might just be the breath of fresh air that allows for the blossoming of a new ONL-student relationship.

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  • M

    MaryMar 30, 2015 at 4:33 pm

    The rules that you are describing about trash were not decided by the Office of Neighborhood Life or even directly by the University. They are the consequence of the last campus plan and were pushed heavily by Georgetown’s neighbors who do think of students as unruly and disorderly. I don’t know if you’ve ever been inside the Office of Neighborhood Life, but in every interaction I’ve had with the staff there, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how they bend over backwards to help students. While their hands may be tied by the campus plan, on a case by case basis they definitely have student interests at heart. I understand your frustration, and I’m sure ONL would appreciate your input on how to improve their relations with students, but this op-ed does little more than shoot the messenger. You are more likely to see real change if you look at the 2018 campus plan. You can get involved at https://ourgeorgetown.com/

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  • S

    SFS 2016Mar 30, 2015 at 4:24 pm

    The Hoya really needs to bring on a true editor, someone who understands grammar and syntax. This is only the most recent editorial (of many) to be embarrassingly poorly-written.

    Reply