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Council confronts minors
 Media Credit: Adam Masloski SCSU students Justin Skaalerud (left), Dan Eslicker, and Pat Jackson fill their glasses at a keg party near campus. Residents concerned about the problem of excess drinking and partying have formed a coalition to identify possible solutions and restore the community around SCSU.
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There are two worlds that exist after bar close.
In one, intoxicated students scatter the streets and attempt to stumble home or to an after hours party. Those students under 21 often wander aimlessly from one house party to another. In the second world, families, working citizens and early risers are trying to sleep, unwind or just relax.
The problem: these two conflicting worlds co-exist on the same city streets.
St. Cloud residents have expressed concern that the excessive underage drinking that goes on is contributing to a major problem in the city.
Jerry Middelstadt, a board member of the Neighborhood University Community Council and a Neighborhood Watch captain, is one of these residents.
According to Middelstadt, the drinking and house parties within the neighborhoods between Third and Ninth avenues on the south side of the city have corrupted the integrity that it once had.
"We're trying to get a little more respect out of the students," he said. "We feel that if we can stop some of the underage drinking, we can prevent some of the broken bottles and loud noise."
Middelstadt said there have been some days when he wanted to go to the dorms and blast loud music at five in the morning.
Middelstadt is part of a council being formed to prevent underage drinking in St. Cloud.
The council's goals are to eliminate the loud noise, broken glass, public urinating and violence that often occur as a direct result of drinking.
Middelstadt cited the fall semester commencement, homecoming, graduation and the first nice day after winter as the times when there are the most partying problems.
For help, Middelstadt and other concerned community members contacted Minnesota Join Together about six months ago. Join Together is a statewide coalition dedicated to stopping underage drinking.
"We have a mission; our focus is on public policy to reduce underage drinking," said Sheila Nesbitt, a member of Join Together.
"We look at the entire community for policies that encourage or discourage underage drinking," she said.
Join Together plans to facilitate several community meetings and help configure a plan of action to stop underage drinking in the St. Cloud community.
Besides providing information and suggesting procedures to curb alcohol abuse by minors, Join Together plans also to pledge a bid of up to $7,500 to carry out an effective plan.
"We have had tremendous results with communities doing similar things around Minnesota," Nesbitt said.
Availability and access is one of the main dimensions the group would like to address. Some possible proposals include: reduced sales of wine and beer at grocery and convenience stores, education and awareness of fake ID's and higher penalties for distributing to minors.
College students share mixed ideas about the party scene around town.
Kevin Lundorff, one resident, said that most students are respectful enough when they go out drinking.
"Not every house in St. Cloud throws parties, and families that live around the campus area should just expect for partying to go on," he said. "The majority of the students don't cause trouble and damage property out partying."
John Nguyen, a student and St. Cloud resident, living in an off-campus apartment appreciates the neighborhood's concern and acknowledges the potential problems that can occur as a result of heavy partying and drinking.
"I think that parties sometimes damage property around buildings," he said. "People act drunk and loud and do stupid things."
However, he said, a solution will not be easy to reach.
"I don't think they can stop the partying just like that, they already do a lot of things and people can still get alcohol," he said.
The Community Council's meetings are 5-7 p.m, Jan. 28, Feb. 11 and Feb. 25 at the St. Cloud Police Department.
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