A campuswide forum on neighborhood relations, including student block parties during Senior Week in May, is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 16, at Cornell. The forum, at 7 p.m. in Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium in Goldwin Smith Hall on campus, is co-sponsored by the Cornell Senior Class Council, Cornell's Office of Community Relations and the Collegetown Neighborhood Council.

While topics will range from parking issues to city noise ordinances, a main focus will be senior-week block parties in the Collegetown neighborhood. The discussion is part of an ongoing dialogue at monthly meetings of the Collegetown Neighborhood Council (CNC), an organization that comprises students, property owners, merchants and permanent residents.

"While a handful of students and student leaders have been involved in CNC activities over the last several months, it's important to reach out to a broader student population and get input and cooperation from students who live in Collegetown and elsewhere," said David I. Stewart, director of community relations at Cornell and a member of the CNC steering committee. Other members of the council's steering committee include a student, a business owner and a city employee.

Large block parties during senior week, although a relatively recent phenomenon, cause concern for many year-round residents who feel the parties have grown out of control. Stewart said some residents of Collegetown are concerned about their property and their personal safety during these late-night gatherings, which violate local and state laws and regulations and attract people from outside the area.

Last May, during a Linden Avenue block party, an Ithaca Police officer was hit with a bottle and more than 30 people were arrested for various violations.

"We recognize that the block parties are not organized by the university or sponsored by student groups, but we do want to discuss these parties with potential participants," Stewart said. "By emphasizing rights and responsibilities and trying to reach an accord, we hope that more serious consequences can be avoided."