When Athens and Ohio University officials said they were disappointed in student fest behavior last week, they meant it.
Feelings are still smoldering after a Palmer Fest house fire that was later ruled arson, and city and university officials stood together at a town hall event on Monday to iterate what they consider civil behavior.
After commending those who partook in Beautification Day, which took place the day after Palmer Fest, Mayor Paul Wiehl brought up what he called “the bad and the ugly: Palmer Fest.”
“I had to call it a riot, which to me is the ugly part,” Wiehl said. “It’s a tool in my tool chest and is something that I didn’t want to use. I don’t want to have to use it often.”
But a mayor’s job is to protect the safety of the people in the city, Wiehl said.
“It’s your job as citizens to honor the social contract,” he said. “Obey the laws, and hopefully, you’ll be able to leave the city better than you found it.”
OU President Roderick McDavis, who took the podium multiple times during the town hall, echoed the message that students should be good citizens while in Athens.
“You cannot separate Ohio University and Athens. That is why we come here today,” he said. “We want this community to represent the best of who we are, not the worst.”
The university should focus on teaching students how to be civil while in the city, McDavis said.
“There used to be something taught in K–12 called citizenship,” he said. “I’m not sure we teach citizenship anymore.”
Though the university has little control over fests because they take place on private property, McDavis said landlords should have some oversight on what’s happening at fests.
After pointing out that no landlords came to the event, McDavis said they should be more involved in what happens during a fest.
“Landlords need to be more involved and concerned about what’s going on with their property,” said Tracy Kelly, Graduate Student Senate president. “It’s discouraging that no landlords were here tonight.”
Still, students need to take part in keeping fests safe, Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi said.
Earlier this week, Lombardi sent an email to students asking them to volunteer to act as community eyes and ears and as conduits to police, if needed.
“We’ve had almost 150 students volunteer their time this Saturday,” he said.
With Oak Fest on Friday and Mill Fest on Saturday, Assistant Service-Safety Director Ron Lucas left students with the university’s tagline for party behavior.
“Be smart. Be civil. Be safe,” he said.
jj360410@ohiou.edu
