Picture everything you’ve ever wanted in a college town — the types of things you always hear about from your friends at other schools.
Now picture your arrival in Evanston freshman year: no “Welcome back, students” banners, no parades and certainly no Evanston residents flocking to greet arriving students.
This is the political landscape we’ve inherited, and students would be right to say that this year’s city elections won’t change anything — especially if they continue their current level of civic activism.
But before we throw in the towel and prepare for another four years of strained relations with the city, take a minute to ponder a few points.
Ald. Arthur Newman (1st), for many the representation of big, bad, stuffy Evanston politics at its worst, is not seeking reelection. For many, it’s a cause to rejoice.
This is the man who Associated Student Government leaders said tried to gerrymander students into three wards and dilute their voting power in 2003. This is the man who voted against settling the historic district lawsuit with Northwestern when both sides reached a compromise. This is the man who called on NU administrators to lower their salaries in order to create a larger police force.
But before we can crucify Newman, (he did help students secure better off-campus lighting, among other things) it’s important to look at the decisions that go in to being alderman of the First Ward.
Prior to the redistricting drama, Newman represented much of the NU campus, downtown and the neighborhoods adjoining campus. Inside those ward boundaries were a mix of longtime Evanston residents, single families and students.
Though many on campus complained of Newman’s voting record against the university, his core constituency of taxpaying residents praised him.
Who was Newman going to listen to: voters who have lived in the First Ward for more than 30 years or a transient bunch of students who don’t vote and pee on his other constituents’ lawns?
When taxpaying constituents line the Evanston City Council chambers for public comment and the only students present are Daily reporters, it’s not hard to deduce Newman’s logic.
ASG leaders made their voices heard during the redistricting melee, but they didn’t press the council to get rid of the off-campus nuisance ordinance or the increased alcohol fines that were approved last year. Newman’s sporadic appearances at ASG meetings in the past four years are about on par with ASG’s presence in the council chambers.
But things have changed. Redistricting has brought much of campus into the Seventh Ward, where Ald. Elizabeth Tisdahl has supported more student participation in the city’s politics. Tisdahl already has invited ASG leaders and other NU students to become an active part of her campaign.
As for the First Ward, Newman’s departure leaves the field open to a number of candidates, most notably former Seventh Ward alderman Cheryl Wollin and preservationist Judy Fiske.
As the campaigns heat up in the next two months, it will up to students to decide if they’ll be an afterthought in the First Ward or a force with which to contend. The end of Newman’s term could bring a new dynamic to students participation, or it could mean more of the same.
Students who live on campus won’t be paying taxes anytime soon but that doesn’t mean students’ interests will go unheard in council decisions.
Student participation was at an all-time high in 2001 when Kellogg School of Management Prof. Allan Drebin opposed Newman for the First Ward spot; he still lost by 57 votes.
With fewer students in the First Ward, the stakes are even higher this year. If students don’t start looking out for their own interests, Evanston will be as unwelcoming as always.
