In an effort to strengthen the relationship between the Colgate community and the Village of Ham-ilton, the Senate of the Student Gov-ernment Association (SGA) invited Hamilton Mayor Margaret Miller and Police Officer Michael Mordus to attend their meeting on Tuesday, March 6.

Through a question and answer session, Mayor Miller and Officer Mordus were able to address some of the more pressing issues concern-ing the Colgate and Hamilton com-munities. When it comes to dealing with a few thousand college stu-dents, both guests expressed a sense of understanding, while at the same time trying to be proactive.

“Except for Friday and Saturday nights, the students of Colgate are great,” Mayor Miller said. One of the main complaints that she finds herself receiving has to do with noise levels late at night. But she thinks that with the later Colgate Cruiser hours and a bit of effort from the students that many of these complaints will be mitigated.

Officer Mordus touched upon Hamilton Police’s greatest hurdle when it comes to the Colgate community: dealing with intoxicated students.

“We understand that college stu-dents drink,” Officer Mordus said. “But if students are coming into town too intoxicated then we have to intervene.”

Although they noted that there are a handful of improvements to be made, both Mayor Miller and Offi-cer Mordus acknowledged the effort that the Colgate community has put in to try and build a better relation-ship with the Village of Hamilton, particularly through the Gate-Town connection events. The first event, a barbeque, took place last semester and was deemed a huge success, with over a thousand people in attendance. The most recent Gate-Town con-nection took place just last month, where over 750 individuals came to cheer on the men’s basketball team at Cotterrel Court. Mayor Miller and Officer Mordus believe this is a good foundation off which to build.

With Colgate’s annual Spring Party Weekend (SPW) just around the corner, the two guests discussed their plans for helping to make the festivities both safe and successful. It is expected that there will be an increased police presence through-out the weekend, with the hopes of having patrol officers on foot along Broad Street. Officer Mordus made it clear that these precautions are sim-ply intended to ensure that students can enjoy SPW safely.

To help students avoid any run-ins with the law, he compiled a list of six main points that Colgate students should follow. First, don’t ever carry any sort of alcohol with you down-town or in public. Second, if you are borrowing a car from a friend, make sure you know how to work their lights (since students frequently get pulled over for failing to use their headlights). Third, make sure to come to a complete stop behind the white line of a stop sign. Fourth, when con-fronted with a police officer or if you are pulled over, make sure you know the name of the officer for future ref-erence. Fifth, do not give the cruiser driver a difficult time. Be patient.

And lastly, do not cross the Broad Street intersection to walk to Nichols and Beal. Instead, use the cross walks.

Contact Cody Semrau at [email protected].