After a day of festing, the last thing any reveler wants to add to hangover woes is a call to his or her landlord to report damage.
And with fest season in full swing, landlords and university officials are urging attendees to respect each other’s property and keep the town, as a whole, in mind.
“Typically we only have minor damages, but on one occasion we had the main support beam to the house crack almost into two,” said Brad Jageman of Athens Ohio Rentals. He has several properties located on streets that fests stroll through, such as Palmer and Mill streets.
“We had to replace the beam the day of the fest,” Jageman said.
Since then, Jageman has seen fewer damages, but that could be attributed to the fact that “we put in a list of rules and requirements that detail our expectations upon any party situation.”
Maximum occupancy is found at the top of the list.
Many other off-campus housing businesses in Athens see the backlash of what fest season has to offer.
Cornwell Properties owns the apartments at Palmer Place and several properties along High Street, the home of High Fest, which happened last Saturday.
“The way we run our business is different than others,” said Kara Cozort an agent for Cornwell Properties. “On a normal basis and during fest time, we have security on hand to help minimize damage.”
The most damage Cornwell Properties sees is to its courtyard, Cozort said.
Those with leases with Cornwell are expected to follow the rules put in place all year long, but before Palmer Place Fest, tenants receive strict instructions on how their parties should be monitored.
“We may have to pay to keep security on duty, but in the long run it keeps us from having to go back and fix damages,” Cozort said. “Our security can usually stop something before it can occur.”
The administration at OU also feels an obligation to address fest season to students and the effect it can have on the greater community, said Dean of Students Jenny Hall-Jones.
“I try to reinforce with the students when I talk with them that they are members of a larger community,” Hall-Jones said. “Not everyone who lives in Athens enjoys large music at midnight, or seeing trash all over lawns on their way to church in the morning.”
She said she wants students to recognize with the freedom of living independently comes the responsibility to recognize their impact on Athens as a whole. She added, this is a chance for students to express their love for Athens and help balance the negative effects that can occur from the fests.
Fests are a time for students to enjoy, but the administration at OU and the landlords of Athens believe it’s the duty of the student to act in a respectable manner to eliminate problems from occurring.
“I really enjoy the opportunities to give back to Athens, like Athens Beautification Day and the graffiti removal project,” Hall-Jones said.
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