An April 10 town hall meeting at the UO on Eugene's new social host ordinance will is aimed at building awareness among students and others who may be affected by the law, according to event organizers.

The meeting – sponsored by the University of Oregon's Office of the Dean of Students and the Associated Students of the University of Oregon – will be from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Room 100, Willamette Hall.

Panel members from the university and the city will present information about the ordinance and answer questions from the audience. The panelists are Paul Shang, the UO's dean of students and an assistant vice president; Eugene municipal prosecutor Dan Barkovic; Eugene Police Sgt. David Natt; Ken Kato, associate director of the UO's InfoGraphics Lab and a university neighborhood resident; and Ashley Penington, a UO undergraduate student.

The ordinance, adopted Jan. 28 by the Eugene City Council, could potentially impact thousands of Eugene residents and UO students. It holds individuals (social hosts) criminally responsible for hosting or allowing an unruly event or social gathering (party).

The Eugene Police Department educated violators about consequences of the ordinance – without citing them – through April 1. Enforcement of the ordinance began April 2.

The social host ordinance is modeled after similar laws that are used in many university towns to limit unruly parties. The ordinance focuses on locations and hosts involved in repeated unruly gatherings where illegal activity takes place.

- from UO Student Affairs