For most students, partying is as much a part of being in college as classes or student loan statements.

It’s almost a given that you attend them and expected that, if you live in an off-campus apartment or house big enough to fit even a small crowd, you host them. And that’s where students run into problems.

The city of Kent is in a constant catch-22 when it comes to the university: They can’t live with us and they can’t live without us.

Sure students flood into the city each fall and rank and file out just as quickly each summer bringing or taking with them the cash that helps keep not just the bars but also local restaurants and apartment complexes afloat. However, they also bring with them loud parties, broken beer bottles and trash-strewn streets.

This is anything but a peaceful coexistence.

To try and bridge that gap and cut down on the number of complaints as well as the number of students finding their way into the police blotter each weekend, last Thursday as a part of the University Task Force, Justin Jeffery, Undergraduate Student Senate senator for community affairs, and Dean of Students Greg Jarvie went door-to-door to talk to students about responsible partying.

They’re doing rounds in three areas well known for their parties – University Drive, College Avenue and Sherman Street – and dispensing information about responsibilities when hosting parties, how to react when police get involved and the consequences that could result from either of the above.

While handing out pamphlets encouraging students to “Please Act Responsibly Think in Every Situation” isn’t going to solve all neighbor disputes or even curb alcohol consumption, it is a step in the right direction.

Nobody wakes up one morning and decides he wants to be the neighbor everyone hates. Some people just don’t think about the non-student neighbors or the student neighbors who prefer a tamer atmosphere.

By taking the initiative and going out to meet students on their turf, the administration and the student senate are showing the students and the community that they do care and they want to make it work.

All they’re asking is that students meet them half way.

Jarvie isn’t telling students not to party. See the first sentence of this editorial to understand why. It wouldn’t work, and he realizes, as most in the city do, that college students and parties go hand in hand. However, students can eliminate some of the negative effects and help reduce animosity by being courteous and responsible.

It’s not about never partying. It’s about be reasonable when you do.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board.