Evanston is going to look a little more like a college town this weekend. But don’t get used to it, freshmen.
There will be free food and music downtown. All that will be missing are the raging fraternity parties associated with the big state schools.
But Northwestern never really will have a true college town — the university is too small, and Evanston is too big — but this weekend at least someone is making headway to the strained relationship between students and the city.
The relationship between students and their neighbors can best be described as hostile. Residents complain students are loud and obnoxious, and students complain that their neighbors break up all their parties. That’s about the extent of the relationship in most cases. And animosity between NU and the city cause undue hostility to be transferred to students.
Maybe the best way to a student’s heart is through his wallet. That is how the business community in Evanston has succeeded. This weekend’s “Wild About Evanston” events are a great way to invite students to become a larger part of the city, even if it is just by shopping at local stores and eating at restaurants.
The efforts by the business community continue with the WildCARD Advantage program in which more than 150 businesses participate. It may not seem like much, but the extra couple dollars I save at FlatTop make it fit my budget, and the 20 percent discount at Borders makes me less likely to buy books online. If Chipotle had not gotten rid of the free drink, I would probably eat there more too.
While these places are trying to improve their bottom line, they are also doing a great service to the city. They are finding a way to engage students in something that will benefit both. The business community is on to something. It is trying to find common ground.
Merchants may have a way to reach students, but they also have taken a different route than many others. Unlike some entities in town, business leaders are taking a proactive effort to work with students and with NU. But more efforts can be made to make Evanston more friendly to students. The way to do this is finding ways to cooperate.
Though students should try to make themselves more connected to their neighborhood, they do not have the opportunity to start many long-term programs because they are short-term renters. This is where residents can step up. What if residents sent a welcome note to their new neighbors each year instead of leaving threatening messages on their doors? How about trying to use students wanting to do service in the individual neighborhoods? Students could tutor or help with projects in the neighborhood that both students and residents can participate in. If students feel more welcome, they are more likely to be good neighbors.
The final key in making Evanston a true college town is for NU and Evanston to look at cooperation. Although this does not directly involve students, it is hard for students to feel welcome when there is so much animosity. It is time for these two sides to suck it up and work together. Business leaders have a record of working with the university, and civic leaders need to follow suit. NU has made efforts, especially with Evanston/Skokie School District 65, to make an impact on the community and they should expand this to the city. Maybe they should host a “Wild About NU” weekend. There has to be a program — maybe new student week events to educate about city services — that the two can work on.
Obviously more than 100 years of hostility cannot be solved overnight, but the point is making an effort.
Medill junior Matt Lopas is City Editor. He can be reached at [email protected].
