More than 40 years after she graduated from Northwestern with a liberal arts degree, Evanston resident Jean Nerenberg still tries to stay involved in alumni events.
But sometimes, she said, her identity as an NU alumna — and as an Evanston resident — don’t mix very well.
"I definitely feel torn," said Nerenberg, Weinberg ’62. "I feel very conflicted because I?m angry with the university and the way they (treat the community)."
It’s no secret that many Evanston residents have a list of grievances when it comes to NU — whether it’s student behavior or the school’s tax-exempt status.
In such an atmosphere of strained relations between the university and the city, some NU alumni living in Evanston often find themselves caught between their loyalty to their alma mater and the community in which they live. Perhaps Donald Olds, an NU alum and Evanston resident, sums it up best.
"I sympathize with both, because I am both, in a manner of speaking," said Olds, Weinberg ’56.
But when it comes to friction between Evanston and NU, most Evanston alumni support their fellow residents. Although NU alumni living in Evanston laud the university as an educational institution, many say they wish the university was a better neighbor — just like many other Evanston residents.
"I don’t think NU gets a tremendous edge because you happen to have a resident who is also an alumni," said Bob Atkins, an Evanston resident who graduated from NU’s Law School in 1956 and serves on the city’s NU-Evanston committee. "On the contrary I think they are very saddened and possibly disappointed that the school that they graduated from and spent time in is not a better neighbor."
From the university’s perspective, relations between the school and its Evanston-based alumni could not be better, said Sarah Pearson, NU’s vice president for development and alumni relations.
Some strain between a university and its host community is not unique to NU, Pearson said. But no matter where alumni live, she said all she has seen in her two years on the job is support for the school.
"I’m sure there are some alumni in Evanston who closely watch the relationship with the city, but all that I have sensed is an enormous level of pride and enthusiasm for the university itself," she said. "I haven’t encountered any conflicting emotions or feelings about the university from Evanston alumni."
Evanston resident Vito Brugliera, McCormick ’55, would disagree.
Frustration with NU’s tax exempt status — always a thorn in the side for cash-strapped Evanston — could be alleviated if the university shared some of its "intellectual capital" with the city, Brugliera said.
With such a prestigious reputation, Brugliera said it would be great if NU helped Evanston solve some of the city’s financial problems and education issues.
"As an alumnus, I am very grateful for NU,? he said. "I think I had a damn good education there. I’m just disappointed that the university isn’t more community-conscious."
And although some Evanston alumni also sympathize with students to a degree, they still find some off-campus student behavior abhorrent.
Jeanne Lindwall, Weinberg ’71, said when she went to school, on-campus parties with alcohol were common. Today, she said, administrators have taken a much more strict approach, which has forced students to go off campus on the weekends.
Still, loud noise and indecent behavior is inexcusable.
"I know that the hours that you guys keep are different from my hours," Lindwall said. "On the other hand, I think that if students are living off campus and in the community, then they have a certain responsibility to be respectful of their neighbors."
Evanston residents who live in the neighborhoods next to the university often claim school officials are not entirely honest with the community, which can make even active alumni like Nerenberg question NU?s commitment to the city.
The bottom line for Nerenberg and other NU alumni living in Evanston is that the university deserves pride and respect as an educational institution. But when it comes to town-gown relations, it’s a different story.
"It hasn’t kept me from participating at Northwestern," Nerenberg said, "but I’ve lost respect for some of the administration."
Reach Mike Cherney at [email protected].
