Zoning University students out of the heart of State College sounds like an oxymoron. Yet representatives of local neighborhood groups are contemplating just that.

And these considerations are happening under the guise of what community members dub efforts to preserve the borough's non-collegiate lifestyles.

The Neighborhood Conservation Action Plan Project Management Team -- an advisory board composed of both community and student representatives -- recently presented a report to the Borough Planning Commission regarding neighborhood preservation. The report resulted from some residents' complaints that students are turning State College into a "student ghetto."

A college town presents unique problems. Many students care about neither appearances nor conduct.

Noise is a constant reminder that thousands of not-yet-mature adults populate the area. The combination of alcohol and weekend nights probably does not create pleasant thoughts for borough residents.

Regardless of these problems, though, an arbitrary rezoning of the offending parties, who do bring in massive revenue, is not the answer.

In larger cities, people learn to live with one another. If a certain group is not living up to its responsibilities, it is the community's duty -- through its police force and its local government -- to take care of the problem.

Forcing the offending parties out of the area is a cop-out.

Borough housing inspections would cause a clear invasion of privacy in their potential to breed selectivity and discrimination. Furthermore, such inspections are not feasible and should be left to those landlords who own the houses.

How can a government that supposedly espouses ideals of equal opportunity -- except, of course, in its fair housing policies -- legislate with a clear conscience that people whose only offense is to seek higher education should be prone to housing discrimination because of mere stereotypes?

Obviously, a problem exists.

But as is the case with most interest-group brouhahas, the answer is more communication. Students and student representatives in the borough must make it their business to be aware of the community's concerns. Borough officials need to realize that if problems do exist, pushing them to the outskirts of town is not the answer.

As the popular cry of rebellion in the 1960s said, "Students are people too."