Traffic and activity have been picking up around Lawrence in the last week or so, but the influx of Kansas University students will ramp up significantly today with the opening of KU residence halls.

It’s an exciting time both for students and for the community. KU and its students, faculty and staff bring so much energy and make Lawrence a much more special place.

For the most part that energy is channeled in positive directions, but it’s also good to see efforts like the new Good Neighbor initiative focusing on the Oread Neighborhood east and north of campus. Although permanent residents of that area probably enjoy the energy of KU students, their patience sometimes can be tested by young people who may not be focused on how their actions are affecting their neighbors.

KU has set up a website giving students information about city ordinances and tips on managing landlord-tenant relationships, and the university and city officials are working on a hotline that residents can call to report issues with students in the area. Perhaps the best advice was implied by the observation of one Oread resident who said, “We see young people doing things they would never do if they were at their parents’ house.” Judging your behavior against what your parents would expect seems like a good rule of thumb.

It’s beneficial to open up better lines of communication between students and residents not only in the Oread Neighborhood but in all parts of Lawrence. Let’s start by putting out the welcome mat this weekend to Lawrence’s newest student residents. We’re glad you’re here and wish you much success in your university careers.