Joan Liljedahl has lived in her home at 48 Brainerd Ave. for the past 35 years. From her seat on the porch (where she spends most of her time), she can tell you which houses have had drug deal busts, point out the floor that Professor of Music Tony Braxton lives on, and introduce you to every single student walking by.

One of those students is Lauren Sonnabend G’09 who got stopped by Liljedahl coming out of her house across the street.

“All the students love her,” Sonnabend said. “She’s so sweet, and she’s been here for decades. You can’t fool her.”

Liljedahl has seen the neighborhood and the University go through significant changes over the years: the adjustments after women were admitted to the University in 1970; the rapid increase in enrollment that created a housing crunch; and the University’s decision to begin buying up homes in the neighborhood to accommodate the higher number og students. Indeed, by the 1980s, the area’s demographics had tipped toward student residents.

Frustration with student noise and lack of respect led to residents founding the Association of Wesleyan Area Residents (AWARE) in 1999. The group has a goal of changing student behavior and developing a long-term plan for the neighborhood.

Wendy Berlind is the wife of Professor Emeritus of Biology and AWARE member Allan Berlind. The couple has lived at their dark brown home on Miles Ave. since 1972, and their experience with students echoed many AWARE members’ complaints.

“They [students] come out at 11, 12 at night, and we go to bed at 10:30; just speaking in the street is enough,” Berlind said. “There’ll be groups on Fountain, Pine…screeching and bellowing is common. After 10 or 11, that’s really hard on people.”

AWARE meetings with the WSA, Public Safety, and members of the administration have helped influence policies like the selling of the InTown student housing units in 2005, and making Home, Brainerd, and Lawn Avenues into quiet streets in 2004.

According to Liljedahl, the change to quiet status on all three streets made a huge difference.

“This used to be a nightmare all night on Friday nights,” she explained, pointing towards the former student houses near the corner of Brainerd and Lawn Avenues.

According to the WSA guidelines, living in a quiet house requires that all noise generated must not be audible outside the house. Unlike houses on other streets, where first noise violations receive warnings, a noise violation by a quiet house will automatically be referred to the Student Judicial Board (SJB).

According to Rob and Peggy Johnston, however, who have lived at their home on the corner of Brainerd and Lawn Avenues for the past six years, the administration’s punishment system for noise violations is not enforced.

“We called three times on one house in the same night,” Peggy said. “They just don’t follow through with what they say…they don’t want to discipline.”

The Johnstons, who have met several times with University administrators such as former Vice President and Secretary of the University (and current Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences) Peter Patton and Vice President of Student Affairs Mike Whaley, complained about things such as noisy students routinely walking by late at night (on their way to and from parties, according to Peggy), vandalism of their fence, and even student urination on their lawn.

“You can talk until you’re blue,” Rob said. “Patton, Whaley, they’re worthless. They’re song and dance people. They’ll tell you what you want to hear, but then there’s never anything done.”

Peggy admitted the University did replace their torn-down wire fence with a new wooden one, but added that the very next weekend they spotted a student climbing over it. She said she didn’t realize what living next to students would be like.

“We knew it’d be different, but I didn’t expect the students to be this disrespectful,” she said. “There’s no respect from students for private homes.”

Rob, however, said the University administrators were also to blame.

“I don’t want to totally blame the students; it’s partly a management problem,” he said. “If they [the administration] doesn’t do anything, why would students do anything?”

As far as the role that Public Safety plays in disciplining students, Professor Emeritus of German Studies and Wesleyan Chimemaster Peter Frenzel, who has lived with his wife Laurie at their home on Miles Ave. for the past 25 years, said Public Safety was usually successful in getting noise and disruptions under control.

“Oh, we’ve got their number; we used to call them when there were noise problems,” Frenzel said. “They’ve done a good job for us.”

Rob agreed, saying that when Public Safety stood out on the street near their home, the noise was not a problem.

“They do what they are there for — I give them high credits,” he said. “They do a good job.”

While seemingly all residents in the area have heard or read about the arrests occurring in the spring of this year on Fountain Ave., they generally have widely varying accounts and opinions of the incident. The Frenzels both said that they hadn’t heard the noise that night, which was very unusual for a student gathering of that size.

Liljedahl said she had only read about it later on, but thought the police action was excessive.

“That’s too much force; they’re not bad kids,” she said. “Maybe a little noisy, but not bad.”

Liljedahl continued, saying she thought that while the quiet streets had helped the noise problems, the students in recent years also seemed more respectful and friendly than in the past.

“They’re delightful,” she said. “I think the element has changed — they’re more selective with their kids. I think the students that come here appreciate the opportunity to be here.”

Peter Frenzel, who still has an office in Fisk Hall, agreed that the students he knew were wonderful, and living so near to campus gives him extra opportunities to spend time with them.

“It was great when I was teaching,” he said. “If the class was small enough, we always had them over for dinner.”

According to Laurie Frenzel, her husband also agreed with the sentiment that students had been getting better in recent years.

“[Peter] told me that this year’s Wesleyan students are the best he’s ever had,” she said. “I’m hoping it’s true.”

When asked why they had stayed in their home even when noise was a problem, Laurie said the benefits of the area had been enough to keep them there.

“We love it here,” she said. “We have sidewalks! We can get to all the concerts, all the plays; we can walk over and watch a football game if we want. We’re right in the center, and we love Middletown.”

Liljedahl agreed.

“I love living here,” she said. “I love to watch students: their spirit, their movements, to see what they’re wearing! I’m so blessed to be here and enjoy this.”