A video instructing Colorado State University students on how to be better neighbors has been produced as part of a joint effort by university and Fort Collins officials to improve relations in the wake of last year’s riots and a drinking death.
“The Rental World” is based on the popular MTV show “The Real World” in which five strangers learn to live with one another and open up about themselves in front of cameras. “The Rental World” depicts five CSU undergrads of different ages and backgrounds adapting to life while renting a house in Fort Collins.
They become aware of lease agreements, city codes relating to noise and vandalism, and their responsibilities when it comes to parties and in dealing with their nonstudent neighbors.
“It focuses a lot on being a good member of the community,” said CSU spokesman Brad Bohlander.
The video is part of an effort to put into practice 43 recommendations issued last year by a communitywide task force aimed at dealing with alcohol problems on campus. The group included residents, business owners and students, along with CSU, city and law enforcement officials.
Sophomore Samantha Spady died of alcohol poisoning not long after fall classes began. Her death followed alcohol-fueled riots near campus.
The video is aimed at helping students make the transition from self-contained dorms to off-campus freedom.
“‘The Rental World’ is an excellent educational tool for students,” said Fort Collins City Manager Darin Atteberry. The video also details the city’s public nuisance ordinance and penalties for excessive noise violations.
The production – which features student actors – was a joint effort by CSU and the city. “It’s an excellent example of how cooperative efforts between between the city of Fort Collins and the university can have a positive effect on our neighborhoods,” Atteberry said.
“The Rental World” can be viewed on city cable Channel 27, SCOLA (cable Channel 25), Campus Television (CTV) in the residence hall dining centers, and online at http://ocssral.colostate.edu/clc/rental-world.asp.
It is also available at Fort Collins public libraries and at the Lory Student Center on campus.
Students who watch the video and correctly complete online quiz questions are eligible for prizes. They include two iPods, one flat-screen television, one Sony notebook computer and a free single room in the CSU residence halls for a year.
Other recommendations from the task force are being studied, and some will become reality later this year, said Bohlander. A decision whether to continue to ban beer at Hughes Stadium is scheduled to be made later this spring, he said.
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 303-726-8674 or at mwhaley@denverpost.com.
