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With students and residents scattered throughout Bowling Green living next to one another, the potential for conflict or harmony always teeters on a fulcrum.
While some city residents are frustrated living next to University students, others tolerate it.
Living on the corner of Clough and South College streets for the last 45 years, David Donley isn’t bothered being surrounded by houses filled with college students.
“Keep me up on the weekends,” Donley said. “I was a student once, I understand about partying and going to college.”
Realizing that respect is a two-way street, Donley forms relationships with his neighbors, and as a result they are more welcoming of his requests.
Occasionally, parties during the week get too loud and Donley is comfortable asking student-neighbors to turn the music down a notch.
“I go over and knock on the door and say ‘hey, turn it down,'” he said. “They say ‘great, no problem,’ and they do.”
Directly across the street from Donley on South College Street, Alex Banks and Paul Sendelbach, juniors, admit to partying about four nights a week.
Although Banks, Sendelbach and their three roommates just moved into their house in August, they haven’t received any complaints from neighbors.
But if the noise gets out of control, all five guys said they would be respectful of those living near them.
Sendelbach also pointed out that although Bowling Green is a college town, the permanent residents deserve respect.
“This is their town, not our town,” he said.
But farther down South College Street near Scott Hamilton Avenue, Roger Noblit – who’s lived in Bowling Green for more than 30 years – said some students aren’t as considerate.
Ruckus from parties wakes Noblit several times throughout the school year.
“I’ve gone over and beat on doors a couple different times,” Noblit said.
Even though the noise frustrates him, Noblit said he has no plans to leave the neighborhood anytime soon.
The students only live here while they’re going to school, but Bowling Green is Noblit’s home.
“I’ve been here for 30 or 40 years and I’m not going to let some college kids drive me out,” he said. “They only have four years [in BG] and then they go about their lives.”
Noblit’s son and daughter-in-law, Don and Cheryl, live next door and said students are out of control.
Last winter, three students crawled up their television tower and ran across the roof at 2 a.m.
After hearing footsteps stomping above her, Cheryl woke up to see the students jump off the top of her house.
“It sounded like a war zone on the top of my roof,” she said.
Cheryl said her frustration sprouts from the students’ irresponsibility.
“I don’t hate them, I hate the things they do,” she said. “They give themselves a bad reputation.”
A resident of Bowling Green for 39 years, George Nicholson of Crim Street has witnessed the town’s evolution.
Students didn’t always occupy such a large portion of the off-campus houses, Nicholson said.
On the first block of Crim Street, only three houses remain filled with permanent residents.
But Nicholson said he’s fortunate to be living among so many college students.
“We might have doctors, lawyers and maybe the next president coming out of Bowling Green,” he said. “You see the best of America in this university, not the worst of America.”
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