The Artform of a Student-Resident Relationship

Like most other college towns, the relationship between students and residents in College Park can sometimes be tense.

It’s a tall order, perhaps even an art form, to help foster a healthy relationship between students and permanent residents, but that's just the role of John Natalizio. He's the current student liaison for the University of Maryland Student Government Association.

He says there's no reason for the sour relations between the two groups in College Park, even though they inhabit the city for two very different reasons.

Patch sent Natalizio a few questions to learn how he thinks the current relationship can be bettered. This is the second of a two-part series. .

College Park Patch: [You] mentioned a survival guide for students living off-campus, a project you're working on alongside Councilman Robert Day. What exactly is the goal of [the] survival guide, and can you talk about the collaborative effort that it's been?
John Natalizio: Students who live on campus receive informative packets that give them information for on-campus living. It has numbers on who to contact and information about living in the residence halls. Councilmember Day and I believe that there is a need for that type of resource to off-campus students as well. There should be a guide for them in which it gives a resource contact list, information to city administration, how to pay rent and keep property protected, where certain important city locations are such as Town Hall, or the Metro, etc. As of right now, Councilmember Day and I are trying to get input from every group possible to make this a exceptionally comprehensive guide. We believe that an off-campus guide would help to give students an understanding of how to live in and with the community. Instead of going in blind, with no understanding of community rules and regulations, this would help give students the information they need. We hope that this would increase student-resident relations, as it would be an informative guide to living with neighbors as well. We hope to include sections about how to respectfully deal with neighbors and what courtesies should be taken between residents.

Patch: What's your ultimate goal during your tenure as the student liaison?
Natalizio: This position offers a rare student ability, which is to make effective, positive policy differences. By the time I leave this position I hope to have set in place policies that will be long lasting to the community. Ideas such as the community service initiative and off-campus survival guide [are] examples of that. There is so much good that can be done with this position, and I hope to use every opportunity to increase student-resident relations. I believe that these sour relations are known by all, but left untouched to be passed on to the next person. However, changes need to occur, and , why not now? I hope that the initiatives I have put forward will be continued and advanced to make a better community for College Park.  There is no reason why this city has to have negative student-resident relations.

Patch: So, when you're all done here in College Park, what are your next plans? Do you think you'll head back to New Hampshire?
Natalizio: As of right now, I am planning on going to law school. Not sure where yet, whether to the west coast or here on the east coast, but I really do enjoy law. I'll be taking a LSAT course over the summer to help me prep for the test in October. Before going to law school, I would love to do some traveling in Italy; however that is always easier said than done.