Raised voices and red faces punctuated a meeting between Syracuse University and the community to address MayFest safety concerns Monday evening.

An hour-long discussion of safety preparations boiled over into a debate about student recklessness and the role of the university and police departments on the holiday, scheduled this year for April 21.

The meeting began at 6 p.m. at the Westcott Community Center, and approximately 20 representatives from SU attended, including the Department of Public Safety, the Syracuse Police Department, Student Association, the South East University Neighborhood Association and other organizations.

Tony Callisto, chief of DPS, opened the meeting with a list of activities the university plans to offer from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. that day, including an academic triathlon, a service carnival and a concert by local band Sophistafunk.

‘That sounds great,’ said Mike Stanton, president of SEUNA. ‘Why would students want to be anywhere but there?’ he joked.

The remainder of the meeting attempted to answer that question, against building friction brought on by disapproval of the university and police departments’ methods of handling the day.

Some of the discussion reverted back to Livingstock, a block party SU students organized a decade ago on Livingston Avenue. Police weren’t prepared for the party and the situation got out of control too quickly, said Gary Miguel, chief of SPD. It resulted in fires, riots and 28 felonies on May 1, 1999.

The university renamed MayFest to SU Showcase this year, but the term is still used to refer to the off-campus parties. MayFest was established in 2005, but didn’t find its notorious block party reputation until 2007. At the meeting, the day was referred to as ‘inmates running the asylum.’

Lt. Joe Cecile of SPD said police plan to go door-to-door on Euclid Avenue, notifying tenants of what will be allowed April 21. Police will take down names, so students know who will receive tickets if things get out of hand, Cecile said.

Stanton, of SEUNA, said the city has an ordinance that walking out onto the sidewalk with an open container of alcohol is illegal. He said SPD is declining to enforce that policy.

‘Is that what you would like us to do?’ Miguel responded. ‘This isn’t a traffic ticket. It’s an arrest. If that’s what you’re wanting me to do, we could literally go in there and make hundreds of arrests. Is that what you think is the answer to this?’

Other safety concerns addressed trash disposal and gas grilling on house porches, which is illegal. Larry Seivert, president of SA, brought up the danger of cars rushing by with students running across the street.

‘I don’t want to sit there on April 22, and maybe we have a council just like this, and say, ‘Is there something more we could have done to prevent a student getting hit by a car?”

A student suggested that houses involved in the Euclid Avenue parties hang signs that say ‘MayFest,’ so students know to stay away from the houses, especially permanent residents’ houses, that don’t have signs. But Gustavo Melendez, president of University Union, said making the event more concrete will only worsen the situation. He said the university should do more to educate students about the SU Showcase events, in an attempt to prevent them from disrespecting the neighborhoods.

Joe Russo, of SEUNA, said as students continue that disrespect, more residents will move out of the area.

‘If I was the university, I’d say, ‘Forget it, no day off,” Russo said. ‘Okay, and that, that would fix it. But the university has decided not to do that.’

Harry Lewis, secretary of SEUNA, said the neighborhood would turn into a ‘student ghetto.’

In response to a question about the university’s role in off-campus safety, Beth Rougeux, associate vice president for government and community relations, reminded the group that the university does not officially recognize the Euclid Avenue parties.

‘We are doing everything in our power to keep students engaged on our campus,’ Rougeux said. ‘To say, ‘well, we’re going to sanction this by putting port-a-potties, or food, or whatever you want’, that is not the way we want to go.’

shmelike@syr.edu

Published on March 23, 2009 at 12:00 pm