I used to say I didn’t believe in the Northwestern bubble. Now I do. Here’s why: Find an Evanston issue that will affect thousands of students directly, and they won’t do a thing about it. The latest and best example is a proposal to ban smoking in public places that might soon face the Evanston City Council.
Sure, Associated Student Government will fuss when the city threatens something as abstract and romantic as students’ right to (not) vote in one ward or another. It feels good to rail against a hypothetical conspiracy where the alder-Man is trying to keep you down. But when it comes to a complicated debate that affects thousands of students, no one issues so much as a cough. Hey, at least the next conspiracy might not be planned in a smoke-filled room.
The proponents of a smoking ban in Evanston hope to imitate nearby towns such as Skokie and Wilmette, as well as major cities such as New York, which have banned smoking in restaurants and bars. In addition to citing the well-known dangers of secondhand smoke, they argue that restaurant workers, many of whom do not have health insurance, are unfairly harmed by working in smoking sections. The owners of bars and restaurants argue that if the city forces smokers out, it will cost the city sales tax revenue. Many of their employees, fearing potential layoffs, also oppose the ban.
The smoking ban is still a long way from becoming a law — it’s only being discussed in the city’s Human Services Committee. But consider some of the people who have already thought it was important enough to support the ban at a meeting Monday: long-time Evanston residents, doctors at both Evanston hospitals, a fifth-grader at a local school, a former alderman, the director of NU’s health services and members of every Illinois health organization under the sun.
None of these people really strike me as barflies. Although owners and employees from Evanston’s restaurants with smoking sections represented themselves, one would hope the committee would hear from the constituency that keeps some of the bars in business — NU students. Despite the stunning popularity (cough) of bar nights at Norris University Center, I’m sure there are more bar patrons at your average ASG meeting than there were at the Human Services hearing.
Even if they are apathetic about the smoking issue, the lack of information from students has already warped the debate. For instance, restaurant owners have complained that smoking customers would leave for Chicago in droves if the ban passes. But if a single student had been at the hearing, they could have pointed out that NU students, at least, choose Evanston bars because of their proximity to campus, not their smoking options.
Whether they smoke or not, students need to speak out on this issue. ASG demonstrated its ability to get City Council’s attention during the redistricting battle. Now they should work to represent us there on issues that are less obviously political. ASG should find out what their constituents want on this issue as soon as possible. Then their external relations team should advocate the position at the next meeting on the issue on April 12 — and not by themselves.
But students who care about this issue shouldn’t just rely on ASG to make their feelings known. Many students here have volunteered with organizations such as the American Lung Association, educating children or distributing anti-smoking literature. We also have plenty of ex-smokers and asthmatics who might enjoy bars more if there were no smoke. Why hasn’t their volunteerism translated into political action in the city where they live?
One school of thought says college students are encouraged to volunteer in poor neighborhoods and protest in support of oppressed people on the other side of the world just to keep them away from hot political issues at home. Students should use the smoking ban to prove that doesn’t have to be true.
City Editor Andy Nelson is a Weinberg sophomore. He can be reached at [email protected].
