When a drunk student threatened to break down her door, RaiPeterson called the University Police Department.
"He was shaking my door, carrying on and screaming," Peterson,an associate professor of English, said. "I was very scared."
When campus police arrived, the student told them that he livedthere. It was a very similar situation to Michael McKinney's,Peterson said. Only it was three years ago, and the studentreceived two citations.
Parties and the students that attend them create nuisances forresidents, ranging from beer cans in the yard to intoxicatedstudents at the door. Like Peterson, two other North St. residentssaid that police removed students from their porches.
"I don't think that we can forget the fundamental thought thatpeople can't go around breaking into people's houses," Petersonsaid. "It's definitely illegal and a very threatening thing todo."
However, Peterson said that the neighborhood is not overrun byparties or drunk students.
"A lot of good activity comes from The Village and theneighborhood," Peterson said. "There's a lot of faculty and a lotof kids."
Peterson described walking to The Mt Cup for coffee in themornings, and sitting outside to read the newspaper. She said thatliving close to campus is convenient.
Her house is up for sale, Peterson said, because she enjoysrenovating older homes. The buyer, however, backed outSaturday.
"They don't have to say why (they backed out), but it hadnothing to do with this," Peterson said, referring to the shootingof Michael McKinney.
The gunshots woke up BSU alumnus Terry Young Saturday.
"I heard the police officer yell. Then, I heard the shots,"Young said.
When he moved to North St. eight years ago, Young said that heknew The Village was the place to party. It had been since he was astudent, he said.
This year, though, the vandalism increased, Young said.
"There's been more vandalism, more intoxication," Young said."More wreckless driving up and down the street. There has to besome kind of reason for it."
It's not just college students' fault, 18-year resident JaneSegedy said.
"I don't like to jump to conclusions and say it's the collegestudents," Segedy said.
However, their parties keep her awake, Segedy said.
"It's really loud. When we have problems, we just call thepolice," Segedy said. "Either the city or the campus police comeout and tell them to be quiet."
Though some discouraged familes have moved, Segedy said that sheplans to stay in the neighborhood.
"It's wonderful to walk to campus," Segedy said. "We're going tostay as long as we feel safe."
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