A new task force comprising city and university officials will meet tonight to discuss solutions to disruptive student behavior off campus.
The task force was born of an initiative by the city’s Human Services Committee to address recent off-campus noise violations and other infractions. Resident complaints to Evanston City Council increased after two Northwestern football players were charged with the attempted break-in of a home Oct. 4.
Ald. Joseph Kent (5th) said City Council convened two similar task forces over the past 10 or 12 years, which produced legislation that gave the city more power to punish disruptive behavior. Both Kent and Ald. Elizabeth Tisdahl (7th) said they expect this task force will produce new laws.
Kent, Tisdahl and Ald. Arthur Newman (1st) will be the aldermen on the task force. Newman could not be reached for comment Sunday.
Tisdahl said she hopes the university and city can work toward a solution to recent complaints, which she cited as the catalyst for the meeting.
She said she also plans to discuss recent attacks on students. Ten students have been robbed or physically assaulted on or near campus since the beginning of Fall Quarter.
Associated Student Government representatives said they do not know if any students were invited to the task force meeting tonight.
John Hughes, ASG’s city council liaison and Rainbow Alliance senator, said ASG hopes to participate in the task force, as long as it would be allowed to represent student interests.
“Some residents have asked the university to take a punitive approach to what goes on off campus. And I don’t think we’re in favor of punitive actions against students,” said Hughes, a Weinberg junior, former Daily Forum editor and current board member for Students Publishing Co., which oversees The Daily.
Hughes said ASG would prefer to work with the Office of Student Affairs to distribute information explaining off-campus students’ rights.
Zach Benjamin, an ASG off-campus senator, said he is skeptical about the task force’s focus.
“I think we have a lot of problems on this campus,” said Benjamin, a Communication junior. “When you have people being robbed at gunpoint and you have the city worrying about how loud you’re playing your radio on a Friday night, there’s a lack of priority management.”
But both Tisdahl and Kent said they hope the task force will be a standing institution as long as off-campus behavior problems persist.
Kent said though the level of reported problems fluctuates, off-campus partying has remained a constant concern of residents.
The City/University Task Force will meet at 7 p.m. in room 2402 of the Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave. The meeting is open to the public.
