The Patient Few: Homeowners on Ohio State's Campus

By Lauren McCane on August 31, 2012

Who knows, the house next to yours could be home to a family with children, so be considerate!!

 

Just the other day, I sat down with an English professor here at the Ohio State for an interview. In an attempt to get to know me, he asked if I lived on or off campus. When I told him that I had an apartment and told him where it was, he said that he and I are practically neighbors– it turns out that he owns a home just down the block from my apartment. This took me by surprise, as I assumed that all of the properties on Ohio State’s campus were rented by students. After much consideration, I decided that these patient people need to be recognized for their tolerance to the student community.

First, they manage to bear the ungodly noise level that never ceases from Thursday till Sunday. We students may have the ability to drink all night and sleep all day, but the majority of homeowners have full time jobs to go to every day. They cannot just schedule later jobs like we can schedule later classes. They also have severe repercussions for missing work, while we may only get a slap on the wrist for missing class.

Furthermore, they endure an amount of littering and garbage that would normally be considered insufferable. Many students hold house parties that result in an infinite number of beer cans and other items being strewn all over the yard and surrounding areas. This is not a classy image– certainly not one that any homeowner would be happy to see upon arriving home. Many students look at this display of cans as a portrayal of the level of awesomeness a party reached the night before, but homeowners do not see it that way. To them, it is a blatant disrespect for the property that they have worked so hard to own.

On top of everything else, they are forced to bear the aftermath of our drunkenness, like broken windows, graffiti and cars that have been robbed. Walking to my apartment, I have seen many drunken students break windows of houses with beer cans and other similar acts. I have also walked by a car that had been spray painted and otherwise vandalized. Now that I know there are homeowners around my apartment, I wonder to myself, “How many of those people have to incur those costs themselves instead of a landlord?”

These accommodating individuals handle all of this treatment with grace. Many of the homeowners on our campus do not bother to call the police to report a rowdy party because they know that these kinds of events are part of a college experience. They think back to when they were our age and decide that they can deal with the partying and noise level for the sake of our happiness because someone else held their tongue for them.

I’m not trying to be a buzz kill, but the next time you host a raging house party, think to be courteous to your neighbors. You may not have to be in your rental for long, but you neighbors may be around on a more permanent basis.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format