Community Corner

Georgetown Students Work in Neighborhood as Punishment

Georgetown University student Collin Smith spent Thursday afternoon picking up trash along Prospect Street.

The streets around Georgetown University are always busy and crowded with students bustling to meetings or class. Today, freshman Collin Smith was taking his good old time as he slowly made his way up Prospect street, filling a black trash bag with discarded receipts, cigarettes and other street trash.

Patch stopped Smith, who was wearing a "Hoya Pride" t-shirt, to ask just what he was up to. He sheepishly admitted that this community service was less-than-voluntary. Smith was picking up trash as part of the 10 hours of community service he was given as a punishment for violating dorm rules.

He and his roommates had a run-in with the university discipline system and were given a list of possible ways to put in their 10 hours before the deadline, which is set for Friday, Dec. 16.

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Smith said he procrastinated a little, putting of the last of his service until today because he had spent the earlier half of the week studying for his Chem final.

After our conversation, he continued slowly along Prospect Street with his trash grabber as other students buzzed by.

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Georgetown University has come under fire from neighbors during the campus plan process for ineffectively disciplining students. This very public punishment is one of the ways the university tries to show neighbors that there are consequences for student actions.


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