SGA to meet with city officials Nov. 11
SGA President Chuck Mahone
City Commission Liaison Ian Elliot spoke in the Senate at tonight's Student Government Association meeting, asking for student input regarding a meeting he will have with city officials on student conduct and how it affects residents.
The meeting is scheduled for Nov. 11 in the Lake Huron Room of the Bovee University Center. Elliot will go in place of SGA president Chuck Mahone.
Elliot said several city council commission have indicated they would wish to do away with all student housing north of Bellows Street.
"I believe that their rhetoric is emotional enough that if they wanted to stir up support for (something like that), they could do it," Elliot said. "I'm not here to scare anybody with that information, but the fact these conversations are starting to happen in a local politics arena where things are normally pretty docile is (alarming)."
Several local business people, representatives of both Greek Life and registered student organizations and Central Michigan University Police Chief Bill Yeagley will be in attendance at the meeting.
Senators within the meeting said "early street sweeping" by police during high traffic weekends such as Welcome Weekend, Western Weekend and St. Patrick's Day is one of the many things which plays into residential noise complaints. They cited students moving off of Main Street into more residential areas to continue partying when a house on Main Street is "shut down" by police early within the night as part of the issue.
Increased police force on "party weekends" has been inacted due to the fear of CMU returning to its "End of the World Party" days.
"Over the last few years (the partying) has gotten a little bit worse and a little bit worse," Mahone said. "The city is afraid of what it's going to go back to -- Armageddon."
Senators were in consensus in saying an emphasis on the importance Greek Life has within the community as a result of their philanthropy is something that should be considered by city commission before making a ruling on all Main Street activities.
The meeting will be held from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. and is not open to the public.
