Students did not dispute that an educational campaign about alcohol-related issues was a bad idea at Wednesday's public forum. However, students said they are upset that the university did not ask for their input in the "Police Yourself" campaign, and they said they feel the police are targeting them.
Muncie Police Chief Joe Winkle said city police's policy about underage drinking did change when the city decided to respond to the neighborhood's complaints.
Mayor Dan Canan and Winkle said the city's crackdown was a response to complaints about loud house parties. The neighborhoods complained that some parties had people spilling into yards, damaging property and creating noise, Building Commissioner Jerry Friend said.
Before the complaints, Winkle said when his officers responded to the first complaint about a house party, they would talk to the house's renter and ask the partiers to keep the noise down. On the second visit in one night, he said, his officers would end the party.
Now, he said his officers are checking identification and giving breathalyzer tests on the first visit and citing those who are underage for minor consumption.
"It has gone from one extreme to another," Winkle said. "It's obvious that some people have gotten the message now. Just accept the responsibility and realize you were in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Randy Hyman, dean of students, admitted the university should have asked for the students' opinions before launching the "Police Yourself" campaign. He also reminded students that it is an educational campaign about existing university disciplinary policies.
"It's designed to get your attention," Hyman said.
He urged students to carefully examine the campaign's Web site, www.bsu.edu/policeyourself/.
Student Suzie Pardue said she left the forum disappointed because the panel did not discuss solutions to improving the campaign and student relations.
"It wasn't a matter of us against them," she said. "We know there's a problem. That's obvious. We need to find solutions that work for everybody: the community, the university and the students. We need to work together."
Canan said he wants to work with students to improve the relationship between the Muncie and Ball State communities.
Canan said his administration began working with Student Government Association about student issues when Tommy Rector was SGA president. He said he has recently met with current SGA President Ben Tietz and Acting President Beverley Pitts.
"I have a very open door policy," Canan said. "I think it's important to meet with the students. I don't have a problem working together."
Many students cheered when senior Jason Sill publicly attacked SGA for not taking a more active role in listening to students' concerns.
"If SGA is where we're supposed to go, well I'm sorry," Sill said. "The person we're supposed to go to ignores our problem."
Sill said he doesn't have a personal issue with Tietz, but the student government needs to step up.
Tietz said he will meet with Sill on Friday to discuss possible solutions. Tietz said the meeting is open to everyone, but he didn't know a specific time or place.
Tietz encouraged students to join the student government and to come to the weekly meeting at 3:15 p.m. on Wednesdays in the Student Center's Cardinal Hall.
Tietz said SGA will advertise its senators' names and e-mail addresses in the Daily News next week to promote student awareness of who their representatives are.
"That needs to happen," Tietz said. "Students need to know how to contact their senators."
Senior Jason Sill said this issue needs to be a top priority and that communication is vital.
"We're all on the same side," Sill said. "This is a serious problem."
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