As incumbent Ald. Arthur Newman (1st) and his challenger, Kellogg Prof. Allan Drebin, prepare to file petitions to run in the April 3 municipal election, two Northwestern student group leaders have confirmed that they plan to campaign for Drebin in his bid for Evanston City Council’s First Ward seat.

Adam Humann, Weinberg senior and president of NU’s Associated Student Government, and Molly Allen, Speech senior and chairperson of A&O Productions, said they support Drebin’s campaign for First Ward alderman as concerned Evanston residents.

First Ward boundaries include Colfax Street to the north, Dempster Street to the south, Maple Avenue to the west and Lake Michigan to the east. Students living within these boundaries can vote for the First Ward alderman.

Both students said they contacted Drebin about working on his campaign committee not only because they agreed with his ideas for a compromise between the city and NU, but also because Drebin will work to advance the interests of all First Ward constituents, including students.

“Drebin wants to stop the style of politics on the City Council now and build the support to make a mutually beneficial relationship between the university and Evanston,” Humann said. “Newman is a roadblock to this relationship.”

Humann said his position as ASG president will not be compromised by his involvement with the campaign, although ASG would work to register students to vote.

“The important thing is to show students they are affected by what happens in the city,” he said. “Ordinances for parking and housing as well as issues like the historic district and head tax directly affect the student body.”

Allen agreed and said her main concern right now is getting students registered and interested in city issues that affect them.

“The students see Evanston as attacking them and they don’t understand why there is so much animosity,” Allen said. “Our goal is to show them what goes on in the city and help them get past the mindframe of ‘Northwestern shouldn’t pay.'”

Drebin said he has spent the past few weeks organizing a diverse campaign committee to reach out to Evanston residents and NU students.

Cheryl Wollin, a former Seventh Ward alderman and candidate for mayor, will manage Drebin’s campaign, while Paul Brown, an Evanston public accountant, has been chosen as treasurer.

Drebin and his committee have already met their first goal — to accumulate enough signatures to enter the election — and he plans to submit his petition early Tuesday morning.

Petitions to run for alderman or any city position except for mayor must be submitted to the City Clerk’s office between Jan. 16 and Jan. 23.

Drebin also has prepared a letter to send to all registered voters in the First Ward, outlining his views and expressing goals he would set as an alderman.

Some issues include helping Evanston “clean up its economic management,” making it a more business-friendly environment and working to reach a compromise between the city and NU.

“I’m uniquely qualified to help bring the city and the university together in a productive relationship,” Drebin wrote in the letter. “As a tenured professor and neighborhood homeowner, I am sensitive to the needs of both sides.”

He said he hopes to meet as many students as possible during the next few weeks and let them know where he stands on city issues.

“I plan to call on the sororities and the dorms and find out what their questions are and let them know what my ideas are,” he said. “I’m available, and if somebody wants to invite me, I’ll come over tomorrow night.”

Drebin said he will not retire from teaching at Kellogg if elected in April.

“I’m very proud to be a part of the Kellogg Graduate School of Management,” Drebin said. “I think that my background in municipal finance is what would make me a good alderman.”

And because Drebin is a tenured faculty member, he can vote on issues contrary to university administrators’ wishes without fear of repercussions. But his understanding of the university’s needs and views will enable him to improve the relationship between NU and Evanston if elected to the council, he said.

“If anything, my relationship with the university should be a plus for the ward,” Drebin said.

Charles Watkins, a lead member of Drebin’s campaign committee, said voters shouldn’t overlook his commitment to First Ward residents who are not affiliated with NU.

“His agenda is not just for students and the Northwestern community,” said Watkins, who also is general manager of business operations at Norris University Center. “He’s objective, he looks at all issues and all aspects of each issue.

“He’s not a one-trick pony.”

Newman, who has served as First Ward alderman since 1991, said his experience on the council makes him the superior candidate. He pointed to his involvement in bringing the new Century Theaters to Evanston as evidence of his commitment to improving the quality of life for both students and residents.

He also said he was instrumental in encouraging University Police to patrol Clark Street for 20 minutes every two hours.

“I’ve got a good record of doing stuff,” Newman said. “It’s one thing to run for alderman, it’s another to actually have done something for the student body. I’m going to run on my record.”

Yet Allen said it is precisely Newman’s voting record on issues concerning NU and the city that Drebin’s campaign hopes to emphasize.

“There are things on record that Newman has done for the city,” Allen said, “but also inconsistencies and statements that are misleading to his constituents.”

Newman declined to discuss any details about his campaign committee but said he is confident that his campaign is proceeding well. He said he plans to visit campus some time in the next few months.