<rleton students have been the cause of several complaints from Northfield residents in recent weeks. The complaints, received by the Dean of Students Office, Security or Residential Life, are typically related to students causing loud noises at night, walking through residents’ yards or gardens, or travelling in large groups and causing disruptions. In addition, some students were responsible for breaking lawn ornaments in Northfield residents’ yards.
Associate Dean of Students Cathy Carlson, the Junior and Senior Class Dean, handles most of the complaints from Northfield residents. Part of the problem is the one hundred students on Northfield Option. “I don’t think that students realize they’re living in a neighborhood—sometimes they forget that the neighbors will be impacted,” said Carlson.
However, Carlson explained that the problem is not just about the Northfield Option students. Instead, she the noise complaints are also related to the rest of the student body attending parties at off-campus houses and returning to campus late at night.
“If it’s one in the morning and students are coming back from parties, and they don’t even realize how loud they are being,” she said. Carlson added that Northfield residents can recognize college students by the “flow of the people—you can just tell they are college student.” Carlson is a Northfield resident herself.
If the Northfielders mention a specific name of a Carleton student, that student will receive a notice from Residential Life. If a second occurrence happens, the student is called in for a meeting with Carlson. “However, that only happened once, and during Fall Term,” she said.
To prevent future complaints from Northfield residents, Carleton will continue to remind students that they are part of a community and to respect their neighbors, said Carlson, particularly at the close of the school year.