This year there are more Brandeis students living off campus than ever before, according to according to an email to off-campus students from Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer. This increase creates the potential for tension between the City of Waltham and the University. However, by maintaining our responsibilities as Brandeis citizens, we can mitigate future issues with the greater Waltham community.

As more individuals join the Waltham community, we urge students to be mindful of their environment and respect other Waltham residents. In his email, Dean Sawyer reminded off-campus students that they are members of the Brandeis community, regardless of their proximity to the University. In this vein, this board encourages students to respect the communities in which they live-especially those Waltham neighborhoods that are frequently traversed en route to off-campus parties.

While there will always be issues between a college town and its students, this board wants to emphasize that Brandeis students are much more than late-night nuisances to Waltham residents. The University's relationship with Waltham is cultivated through students' participation in community service. The Waltham Group, for example, includes volunteering opportunities like Junior Brandeis Achievers, a free after-school program at Waltham elementary schools; and the Language and Cultural Enrichment a tutoring program, among many, for which Brandeis students work with kids to develop their English. Students also participate in programs like WATCH Tenant Advocacy Clinic, which provides Waltham residents with free legal advice regarding housing rights.

Overall, the Brandeis community registers tens of thousands of hours of community service each year. As students continue to move off campus in future years, it's important to maintain strong relations with Waltham. Perhaps the administration can help facilitate this relationship. By upholding our responsibilities as Brandeis students in performing community service, we will continue to heal and strengthen our relationship with the Waltham community.
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