Good Neighbor Program: Becoming better neighbors

Living off campus can have its perks, not the least being that students have their own places — but it also means having neighbors. Off Campus College (OCC) initiated the Good Neighbor Program (GNP) to offer guidelines for how students can cultivate positive relationships with the people next door and around the neighborhood.

“Neighbors care about their neighborhoods,” said Milton Chester, assistant dean for Off Campus Services and Programs. “Students need to respect that. When they’re at home, they don’t just leave trash out on the lawn. So when they come to Binghamton and move off campus, they need to treat their space here just like they would treat their space back home.”

The GNP is all about respect; keeping noise to a minimum during late-night hours, cleaning up after parties and helping out elderly neighbors with tasks like raking leaves or shoveling snow are all excellent ways to practice good neighbor habits. Students should also prioritize proper trash disposal. Excess trash found littering yards, curbs and streets impedes everyone’s right to a clean living environment.

“At the start of every year, I send information to off-campus students reminding them that they live in a community and to be respectful of those around them,” Chester said.

That level of respect includes making sure the rules and regulations for getting rid of trash are followed. Many students who move off campus into the city of Binghamton are unaware that there’s a process and a cost involved.

“When I moved in, my landlord explained the process to me,” said Megan Carrie, an off-campus student. “You need to buy blue bags from a grocery store; your garbage won’t get picked up unless it’s in those blue bags.”

Ziyan Liu, another off-campus student, was also unaware of how to dispose of trash at first. “Once I knew the time that the truck would come by and how to recycle, everything became kind of simple,” she said.

Chris Schleider is a supervisor for the city of Binghamton’s Building Construction & Code Enforcement office. He offered tips for students to help them tackle the trash-collection process.

“All garbage and trash should be placed at the curb the evening prior to the scheduled collection date,” Schleider said. “Garbage and small trash items should be placed in blue city of Binghamton garbage bags (available at most grocery and drug stores), recycling should be placed in yellow Broome County recycling bins and up to three large items can be placed neatly at the curb for collection.”

According to Chester, local residents love the student presence in their neighborhoods and the value students bring to the Binghamton community. His suggestion for students? Introduce themselves to their neighbors and establish relationships with them — that’s part of being a good neighbor, too.

“I encourage students to reach out to their neighbors and build some kind of rapport or relationship with them,” Chester said. “That goes a long way, not just when dealing with things like trash, but when students leave for breaks, they have someone who will be looking out for them and their place. Take the time to build a rapport. That’s what being a good neighbor is all about.”

For more information about trash collection, visit the city of Binghamton sanitation website and check out the refuse collection schedule. If you have any questions about the Good Neighbor Program, contact Chester.