As ASMSU members met with city residents on their front porches - or even inside their houses - they reminded people to be responsible this weekend during the University of Michigan football game.
"We need to explain to people what it means to be a Spartan," said Andrew Bell, vice chairperson for external affairs for ASMSU's Student Assembly.
Members of ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government, went to neighborhoods off Grand River Avenue on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, talking with residents and passing out fliers from Olin Health Center about partying safely. The group will visit the Cedar Village area tonight.
Student Assembly members were required to go door to door and promote responsible behavior for the football weekend after a bill was approved by the Assembly.
Past events, such as the April 2-3 disturbances, have given MSU a bad reputation, so it is important to reach out to students and permanent residents and remind them to be smart and think about the consequences of their behavior, Bell said.
"If you see a burning couch, don't pour gasoline on it," Bell joked at each doorstep.
"Everybody was very receptive," said Julielyn Gibbons, ASMSU's director of Legislative Affairs. "They genuinely seemed interested in not getting in trouble and behaving responsibly."
Environmental sciences and management senior Chris Pell was at home when members of Student Assembly knocked on his door. He said although most students who have been at MSU for a few years know about partying safely, it's helpful to have students talking with other students about the issue.
"The drunken chaos and violence needs to stop because it's giving our school a bad name," Pell said.
It's a good thing ASMSU is doing something about raising awareness, said supply chain management senior Erica Rowe, who also received a visit at her home.
"It's important to know that you have a student government behind you, looking out for you," Rowe said.
ASMSU members also spoke with permanent residents.
Mary Lou Terrien has been living in East Lansing since 1973, and said she liked how ASMSU contacted both students and residents.
"I'm very supportive of students," Terrien said. "I understand the celebrations, but keep it in the realm of reasonable behavior."
Visiting people at their homes was a good way to get the message out, Gibbons said.
"It's a lot more effective than students receiving an e-mail from (MSU's) president," Gibbons said. "It has a greater effect on attitudes if they know that their peers are going to be looking to them to behave a certain way."
The door-to-door strategy could possibly help, building construction management senior Kyle Karwowski said, but to him it was just another knock on his door.
"If you're drinking beer all afternoon, you think you're going to remember what some girl knocking on your door said three days ago?" Karwowski said.
As much as it got the word out about partying safely, ASMSU members weren't able to talk to everyone, such as this weekend's visitors, said Lauren Polinsky, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources representative for Student Assembly.
"I don't think it will change anything, but it's a step in the right direction," Polinsky said. "It might cause people to think twice."
