Though town-gown relations remain shaky, Associated Student Government’s newly appointed liaison to Evanston City Council said she hopes to facilitate better relationships between Northwestern students and Evanston officials.
After an unsuccessful bid for ASG president, Courtney Brunsfeld, former ASG student services vice president, said she accepted the position of ASG’s second city liaison last week to continue her work for NU students.
Brunsfeld, a Weinberg junior, said she plans to focus on voicing complaints of students who live off campus to Evanston officials. For instance, she said many students complain they immediately are ticketed for holding parties when they used to receive a warning.
“Some aldermen and Evanston residents think that some Northwestern students are not good neighbors,” she said. “Most students are very respectful of the residents who live around them … Because I’m the voice of the students to City Council and to the city in general, I’d at least try to advocate more realistic treatment of students.”
Brunsfeld said she also plans to lobby Evanston officials to place bicycle racks in the city and to promote the WildCARD Advantage program, which gives discounts to NU students. She also is working with small businesses to plan a welcome back event in the fall.
ASG’s Executive Board created the liaison position last year primarily so a student would attend meetings and voice student concerns.
Brian Miller, outgoing City Council liaison, said he made small gains in his work with business leaders to attract student-friendly establishments such as pizza restaurants, a push Brunsfeld plans to continue.
“A lot of this cannot be accomplished in one big step,” said Miller, a Weinberg sophomore. “We can’t really step between the lawyers of Evanston and Northwestern and say, ‘Hey guys, let’s get along.’ We start small.”
Ben Cherry, ASG’s External Relations Committee chairman, made changes to the position when he took office this spring. He appointed a junior liaison, Weinberg freshman Jane Lee, to help Brunsfeld.
Ald. Stephen Engleman (7th), whose ward includes the Fraternity Quads and North Campus, said he welcomes the opportunity to talk to NU students but conceded that students might feel more comfortable approaching a student liaison.
“None of the students think to call me to see if they can address some of the concerns that are being raised,” he said. “Most students … don’t know that I’m their alderman and … don’t know that I may, in fact, be available to work for their needs.”
In addition to working with the council, Miller said he worked with other city leaders.
Troy Thiel, president of the Evanston Small Business Association, said those interactions carry so much weight that ASG should change the liaison’s title to reflect cooperation with city leaders.
“(Evanston’s) relations with Northwestern shouldn’t only be between the (university) administration and City Council,” he said. “The relationship between ASG and the business community can sort of soften the often tense relations between Northwestern and the city.”
Brunsfeld met already with Thiel and other Evanston business owners and said she hopes to meet with other city officials soon.
