The new Ohio University Off-Campus Living Office, created to support students living off campus, will be sending people out into Athens neighborhoods in the next two weeks to discuss concerns for Athens residents, including Halloween.
We want students to understand that they are responsible for their invited and non-invited guests
said Jim Hintz, coordinator for the office. It's OK to have fun at Halloween but when the lines are crossed there are consequences.
In response to increased violence in Athens last year, former OU President Robert Glidden and Athens Mayor Ric Abel co-chaired the Civic Responsibility Task Force. The task force, with suggestions from OU Vice President for Student Affairs Michael Sostarich and Student Senate, decided to implement the Office for Off-Campus Living, said Judy Piercy, assistant vice president of Student Affairs.
The Division of Student Affairs gave the office a budget of about $70,000 for this year. The budget covers all expenses for the office, including Hintz's salary of $33,000 and the part-time salary of graduate student Andy Sadouskas, which is $7,597, said OU spokesman Jack Jeffery.
Hintz said the office's current goal is to implement an interactive Web site to answer common questions for off-campus students. The site will include information on available housing and key points to look for in a lease. It also will work to educate students about Athens by linking to pages on civic responsibility, the nuisance party and noise ordinances, a listing of area trash dates and a calendar of events. The site should be up by next quarter, he said.
The office, which is located in Baker University Center room 204, also is working to familiarize itself with students and is teaming up with members of Student Senate to visit students at their homes, Hintz said. Kristin Mazgaj, off-campus living commissioner for Student Senate, said they will talk with students about Halloween and safe partying.
Mazgaj said they also will invite people to join the Off-Campus Living Advisory Council, which is the student voice for the office. Both Mazgaj and Hintz said they hope to recruit a large number of students for the council.
The more people you get to step up Mazgaj said, the better base you have trying to solve problems for students.
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Maggie Bushek
