Rain or shine, students show for block party
Posted on August 27, 2007
Not even heavy rain could keep students away from the annual block parties Friday and Saturday.
Hundreds traveled through Port Republic Road by foot or cab on their way to meet new people, hang out with old friends, or just to have a good time – and area law enforcement was there, too.
“They want to have a good time,” Lt. Kevin Lanoue of the Harrisonburg Police Department said. “We don’t want them to get in trouble, and we don’t want them to get victimized.”
The Harrisonburg Police Department, JMU Police Department, representatives from the Office of Judicial Affairs, and Off Campus Life joined forces to devise a strategy and visit housing complexes near Port Republic Road prior to the block-party weekend. In the past Village Lane was the primary location that was visited, but this year more effort was made to visit as many complexes as possible on Port Republic Road as well as some locations on S. Main Street, according to Lanoue.
Some residents interviewed in Forest Hills were not home during the initial visits, but said the property manager stopped by to make sure they were aware of the rules. Upwards of 45 officers patrolled the area each night.
“The biggest thing I’ve noticed is [that] the students are progressively more cooperative as each year goes by,” Lanoue said. “It seems like they’re better behaved.”
Heavy rain started after midnight on Saturday causing many to seek shelter in front of Campus Corner, and the crowds of partygoers seemed to thin. This did not deter the die-hards from making the uphill trek from campus or from navigating the various parties.
Senior Nate Foote, who lives in Forest Hills, used a trash bag as a makeshift poncho. He used the evening as an opportunity to meet new neighbors and thinks the parties can be beneficial for incoming students.
“It gives an opportunity for freshman to get a taste of JMU,” he said.
Lanoue estimates that about 10 percent of attendees at block parties are predators who aim to steal or hurt others. Local and visiting gang members from metropolitan areas are also a concern for law enforcement. Electronics or other valuables can be removed from a residence during a party, which Lanoue said is frequently reported. Lanoue added that a drunk individual is more likely to be attacked or robbed.
According to Lanoue, if police presence prevents excessive drinking, it ultimately helps the students because they may not put themselves in a position to be victimized.