Some students found something a little more unusual, and possibly more alarming, than the typical credit card bill in their mailbox last weekend. University President Henry Bienen sent more than 10,000 letters to Northwestern students, faculty, staff and alumni living in Evanston, encouraging them to contact their alderman and protest proposed Northeast Evanston Historic District.
For those not familiar with the latest in the ongoing town-gown soap opera, the proposed historic district, which runs west of Sheridan Road from Emerson Street to the Evanston-Wilmette border, includes such buildings as Blomquist Recreation Center, Hillel and Foster-Walker Complex, which are hardly historical landmarks.
But the district, which also is opposed by many of the residents who live within it, as well as some aldermen and citizen groups, seems to be less about historical value and more about politics.
Bienen and other NU administrators see the historic district as another tactic by the city to try to strong-arm a monetary donation out of NU. Buildings in the district are subject to strict rules regarding renovations, meaning that even for such simple repairs as a window replacement, NU would have to submit a request to the Preservation Commission. In his letter, Bienen calls the district a “serious impediment to the continuing development of Northwestern as one of the nation’s leading teaching and research universities.”
Bienen’s letter follows the U.S. Census campaign, which encouraged students to go out and be counted as Evanston residents, bringing much-needed revenue to the city. As people who spend most of the year in Evanston, students are recognized as members of this community.
Well, if we can earn money for Evanston, we can also express our opinions.
NU and Evanston, like it or not, are part of the same community. A higher standard of living in Evanston benefits NU, making the university more attractive to professors and the community more pleasant for students. And Evanston benefits from a major research university in its backyard. Projects like E-Tropolis, an online community in which Evanston is a pioneering city, are made possible by NU’s presence. Evanston residents benefit from the wealth of excellent speakers and programs sponsored by NU and Evanston businesses profit from students as well.
If NU and Evanston are ever going to reach an agreement on fair share, they must start by recognizing their common goals. For the city, that means recognizing the university and students as a valuable part of this community. For students, that means taking some interest in the community around them, beyond just Burger King and Barnes & Noble.
For those students who are oblivious to community issues (what? There’s more to Evanston than NU?), it might be time to realize that the aldermen down at city hall do have a considerable amount of power over this university. But guess what? They’re also elected to represent you. So write a letter to your alderman. If President Bienen can do it, so can you.
