Community taking wise first steps in resolving issue

Purdue president Martin Jischke and West Lafayette Mayor Sonya Margerum have taken the right steps in bringing the University area community together by forming two community issues teams.

The teams were created as a result of recommendations made by a joint task force which convened earlier this year.

It seems that families in the community have complained about the overcrowded streets and overpopulated housing complexes caused by students living in them. Excessive trash, late night noise and too many cars parked on the sides of the road are some of the concerns that residents have.

Purdue students, on the other hand, feel that they have just as much right to live there as anyone else. After all, 60 percent of students live off campus and many of them already contribute to the community around them in some way.

Some might say that communities should resolve issues without the aid of authority. But the steps taken by the Purdue and city authorities will bring about constructive discourse that should lead to solving at least a few of the problems that have been encountered around the area.

The committees will discuss options and make decisions regarding the use of resources, from both city and University sources. The hope is to create a winning situation for everybody by the implementation of service programs that engage students in the neighborhoods in which they live.

The involvement of both students and staff on the Purdue committee, and city officials and neighborhood associations in the West Lafayette committee will ensure that all community members will have a say in the decision making process.

One proposal is for Purdue to provide information to the city about enrollment numbers and campus expansion plans, and West Lafayette to provide the University with information about road construction and parks and recreation programs.

These steps, as well as others to be determined, will be valuable in avoiding inconvenience and foster more open communication within the West Lafayette area.

The problems have been confronted and now both sides have come together to search for solutions, and the actions being taken are exactly what the community needs.

These problems won't be solved over night, but at least the lines of communication are being opened. This community belongs to everyone. Not just the families and residents, and not just the students. It's going to take a little effort on both sides, but it will be well worth it.

Editorial Board: Keith Thomas, Kurt Esposito, Jamie Teibel, Ian Clift, Anna Herkamp

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