The Feb. 23 editorial "Fast Times at Trinity Heights" hit many important points on the unreasonable claims in the report on off-campus "party houses" by the Trinity Heights Action Committee. My problem lies in the term "party house" that is often used to refer to students' homes in Trinity Heights. The term implies that students use these residences solely to throw wild parties. That could not be further from the truth. These properties serve as homes for the many Duke students who want to have more responsibility and exposure to the real world by living off-campus. They are responsible for paying their bills on time, keeping their fridges stocked with food and everything else associated with maintaining a house-all important skills to learn for life outside of Duke.
Furthermore, many fail to acknowledge that the primary purpose of these residences is not to throw parties, as the Trinity Heights Action Committee suggests, but to serve as a home, where students study, sleep, eat and shower. The moniker "party house" is completely inappropriate and seeks to inflame and exploit the negative stereotypes that are associated with off-campus residents.
Although the committee openly acknowledges that many Duke students who live off-campus are good neighbors, it continues to advocate a zero-tolerance policy for what it deems "inappropriate behavior."
As a student living off-campus next year, I welcome constructive dialogue with my neighbors-but I refuse to accept generalizations.
Awa Nur
Trinity '10
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