On Monday, Oct. 1, more than 150 students attended the weekly Student Government Association (SGA) Senate meeting. This record-setting attendance was due to the presence of Jeff Doggett, director of community relations and government affairs. Doggett sought to address the concerns of students who feel they have been unfairly targeted for partying, noise and drinking violations by the Northeastern administration and the Boston Police Department (BPD).

I want to thank the students who came to ask questions and voice their opinions, and also Doggett, who fielded questions for more than three hours. In the weeks ahead, I hope all students know they may speak freely during the “Students’ Matters” portion of the student government meetings, giving you another opportunity to share your concerns within the first 30 minutes of our often lengthy meetings.

As a student, you may be upset with the administration’s handling of Mission Hill parties. You may be disappointed with their actions. You may be confused by their reasoning. SGA understands your concerns and we are actively working on a new proactive policy that will prevent these unfortunate tensions from reaching the point at which our neighbors are disturbed and the BPD is called. However, please know that Doggett and his staff have been working with BPD for years.

Their service as “community liaisons” with BPD is part of a larger effort to support public safety and student-resident relations in our community. Northeastern is joined by Boston College, Boston University and other area colleges in this policy. The relationship Northeastern and its students have with our neighbors is integral not only to the function of this university, but to the livelihood of the city of Boston.

SGA firmly believes that the quality of life of all people living on Mission Hill is paramount, as is the case in the other neighborhoods in which our students reside. In large part, our students and the permanent residents of Mission Hill coexist without issue. A comparatively minimal number of incidents have resulted in the current situation. This is certainly a complicated issue.

In the coming weeks, SGA will be in talks with our neighbors from Mission Hill to ensure our current quality of life is maintained for both students and the permanent residents. I highly encourage every student living on Mission Hill to engage his or her neighbors in that same conversation, to get to know one another and to establish all expectations in sharing this community. Both students and permanent residents want to live without being disturbed, so the knowledge of what does and does not affect one another is crucial.

From preliminary discussions, we know that students roaming around the neighborhood during the night has caused a large number of these incidents. We urge you to be cognizant of your voice level since neighbors’ windows may be open. This is, however, only one scenario.

This issue is being worked through because so many of you came forward to bring it to our attention. I commend you on that, as communication is the necessary first step in seeing changes happen. Keep it up. Communicating with your student government is precisely how to see your thoughts and issues addressed. Student Government meetings are held every Monday at 7 p.m. in 335 Shillman Hall. Come and speak out. It’s only with your input that we can continue to advocate for you.

– Joey Fiore is a junior geology major and president of the Student Government Association.