"Student Neighborhoods: Breaking the Cycles of Violence and Destruction," a community speakout for University of Colorado at Boulder students and city residents, will be held at the Pi Beta Phi sorority house, 890 11th St., from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 19.
The purpose of the speakout is to bring residents and students together to generate ideas for improving their neighborhoods, according to Mike Mansfield, university representative and program coordinator for the city of Boulder and the CU division of student affairs, and Amanda Breeden, community relations director for the University of Colorado Student Union.
"In light of recent events and conditions on the Hill and in other student neighborhoods, we want to provide an opportunity for all neighbors to gather and discuss ways to make Boulder neighborhoods a better, safer and more civil living environment for everyone," Mansfield said.
Interested residents and CU students from other neighborhoods are encouraged to attend. Pizza and soft drinks will be served.
Community speakouts and dinners began in fall 1997 in an effort to resolve police/student tensions following a student riot in May. In addition to student residents and neighborhood representatives, participants have included university administrators, city officials, city and CU-Boulder police officers, fraternity and sorority members and student government leaders. Additional speakouts hosted by other Greek organizations will be held on the Hill on Oct. 17 and Nov. 28.
The Sept. 19 speakout will be followed two days later by a Hill cleanup project sponsored by the Phi Delta Theta fraternity on Thursday, Sept. 21, from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. After the cleanup, volunteers will be treated to dinner provided by The Sink, with support from other Hill businesses, including Johnny McGuire's, La Iguana, Planet Sub, Al's Barbershop, Mexicali Bluz, Illegal Pete's and Kinsley & Co.
"This is a great opportunity for us to make a positive contribution to our neighborhood and to let the community see that fraternities like ours can be great assets to a neighborhood," said Tyler Downs, president of the chapter.
Last spring the fraternity also sponsored a cleanup project, assembling more than 60 members as volunteers and collecting approximately 35 barrels of trash and recyclables.