Four beer cans sit on top of a vending machine on the second floor of the A Building in the Village at Centennial Square--possible remnants of a weekend party linger Monday afternoon.

As the San Francisco State housing office has and is currently finding ways for students to have fun without the use of alcohol, Kevin Kinney, Assistant Director of Residential LifeHousing and Residential Services says, it continues to be a challenge.

“(Resident Advisors) host two programs per month,” Kinney said. The events are designed for students to have fun, and often inform them on issue that they are concerned or interested about--such as a talent shows or getting to know about the city.

Moving into a new environment with complete strangers can be a bit overwhelming for some new students. However, for some hosting and attending parties can provide liquid courage when it comes to meeting people.

“At the beginning of last semester a lot of people attended the events,” Deva Nash, a freshman, double major in theater and creative writing said. “They were like ice breakers.” Nash also commented on the fact that many people attended these events as a way to get to know other residents. However, later in the fall semester less people attended these events because of work obligations, or they just found other things to do according to Nash.

So far this semester Nash says that she hasn’t attended any of the events hosted by student housing.

For Julia Martinez a freshman psychology student living in the Towers says that she and her friends see the fliers and talk about it, but then sometimes forget when the event actually occurs.

“The events are always an option if nothing else is going on,” Martinez said. “I usually go to the comedy nights because they are guaranteed fun.”

Usually on-campus residents go to the same places; everyone knows where to have a good time Martinez stated.

The Village at Centennial Square has been a source for many students in the past to party, however since the school took over management in the fall of 2006 it has become a more quiet community according to Kinney.

“The message is getting out, there is more staff presence and the parties are moving elsewhere,” Kinney said.

Now that the campus is expanding with its newly acquired property of University Park South, also run by the San Francisco State Housing office is now also seeing a new problem arise. As students decide to party in this area older long time residents of the Villas—which the University has slowly been buying property from—are trying to learn how they can live together in this growing community.

“We are starting to form a community task force and are trying to improve the security systems and in the future put more people on patrol,” Kinney said.

February 10th the San Francisco State Housing office in collaboration with the community task force is hosting a block party so residents within University Park South can get to know each other.