Longtime residents of South Oakland have seen their neighborhood go through a major change… Longtime residents of South Oakland have seen their neighborhood go through a major change over the years. As more and more residents move away and more students move into the area, South Oakland has become unruly, with littered streets and dismal surroundings.

Naturally, South Oakland residents are irritated with this change. A Post-Gazette article, “Incursion of slobs rankles longtime South Oakland residents,” covered their frustration. Carlino Giampolo, 61, told the Post-Gazette that “We grew up in that kind of clean environment, and I’d like that to continue throughout the entire community.”

But there is more than one side to this issue, one that the Post-Gazette failed to address. South Oakland is a prominently student-inhabited area, and the article implies that students are the cause of its disorderliness, so what are the opinions of the students? What do the students have to say about South Oakland’s changes?

It is true that South Oakland used to be a thriving community before more and more students took up residence there. But every neighborhood changes with time. In the past, South Oakland was more of a residential area. Today, it’s part of a growing college community. This is a transformation that residents simply must accept.

According to the Post-Gazette, Kathy Boykowycz, vice president of the Oakland Community Council, feels that students are bringing South Oakland property values down. But, at the same time, a college neighborhood should provide affordable housing with rates that students can meet. Indeed, one of the major reasons why students move off campus is because it provides cheaper housing.

However, that is not to say that because South Oakland is becoming more of a student neighborhood that students can litter as they please. On the contrary, students need to start taking better, more responsible care of their surroundings. Amid the trash and disarray, the residents’ houses in South Oakland are clearly distinguishable. Flowers often line their windows and their sections of the sidewalk are generally swept clean. Students should learn a thing or two from their resident neighbors.

Part of the problem is the difficult transition from residence-hall life to rental life. Residence hall maintenance crews help keep residence halls clean. When it comes to apartments, however, students are on their own and some, still used to a somewhat dependent lifestyle, fail to take good care of their living spaces.

Furthermore, some students simply don’t care. Students are nomads. They do not plan on living in their apartments forever and see it mostly as a temporary roof over their heads. For this reason, orderliness is generally not a top priority.

On the other hand, it is important to remember that not all students are irresponsible and not all students are the source of the problem. Students do not own the apartments or houses, landlords do. And, as a result, landlords bear a bulk of the responsibility in keeping the area clean. If a student moves into an already rundown building, there is really no incentive to clean it up.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has been encouraging greater cooperation between the city and area universities in regulating off-campus conduct. There should also be a collaborative effort between students, landlords and residents in maintaining an orderly community.

South Oakland is clearly becoming a college neighborhood, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be a clean one.