There are better ways to regulate university parties besides shutting them down.
Despite a court order that could lead to their detainment, arrest, or charges related to street parties, thousands of University of Waterloo and Wilfred Laurier University students still hit the streets dressed in green this St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
Whether the community or local authorities want it, university parties are here to stay.
Similar sentiments carry through to other Canadian universities, including Queen’s, which saw a decent turnout this Saturday. With the exception of students who stay in to avoid the potential fines, the pulse of party culture remains alive and determined.
Before anyone can frown at the idea of street parties, university celebrations are just as much a tradition as any.
It’s not fair to pin the blame on current Gen Z students when party culture has been around since our parents’ generations and will likely stay a major part of the university experience for generations to come.
While the generational nature of partying is no excuse to alleviate students from taking ability for their disruption and destruction, there must be a community-wide understanding that these parties don’t come with bad intentions.
Universities, local authorities, and neighbouring residents may want nothing to do with these gatherings, but they still play a role in collaborating with students to mitigate their disruption.
This St. Patrick’s Day weekend, students seemed to experience a relatively uneventful celebration of the Irish holiday. Whether it’s the mellowing out of fourth years, who’ve realized their reputations aren’t worth risking, or because officers were more lenient, the authoritative presence this year felt tame.
Perhaps this is a model we can build on in the future—one where authorities focus on harm reduction for students rather than inspiring fear. When there are bigger concerns such as cars speeding down crowded streets or students getting trampled, the priority of dishing out fines for public drinking and backyard gatherings must be reevaluated.
If police want students’ cooperation, they must show it.
Generally, students don’t share a positive opinion of the police, if not a general mistrust of where their interests lie. When authorities focus their efforts on condemning students rather than ing their needs, it’s natural to be apprehensive to ask for their help and resort to helping ourselves, even if it’s more dangerous.
This year, the AMS said their goal for St. Patrick’s Day was to “prioritize students’ safety and enjoyment over strict abstinence.” If this perspective encourages anything, it’s that safety doesn’t come from putting an end to partying but learning to do it safely.
When community expect university students to be nuisances with an agenda to destroy everything, then students will be forever trapped in that stereotype with no desire to change.
As neighbours to non-student households, we should be expected to care for our properties, clean up the messes we’ve made, and keep disruptive behaviours to a minimum. But at the end of the day, respect is a two-way street—if it’s owed from students, it’s owed from the community too.
Threatening to arrest students for partaking in tradition will only drive the student-police division deeper. What we need is to build these community relations.
The sooner residents and authorities stop viewing students as the villain, the sooner we can all learn to cooperate and make these parties a more tolerable time for everyone.
—Journal Editorial Board
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Don Rogers
Here’s a good compromise. Move the street party to Bader Lane, between University and Albert Streets. All the experiences of a street party, as outlined in the editorial, can be had on Bader Lane, which is Queen’s property, not city property.