All I really need to know I learned from Mister Rogers. You know, the guy on public television with the trolley to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe and all those sweaters.
Perhaps his greatest contribution to little kids everywhere was the tune he sang before every show: “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
I was thinking about that song last week when I attended a meeting sponsored by the Departments of Community Relations and Student Affairs, as well as University Police, called Community Conversations.
The occasion brought together UP and Evanston Police Department officers, Associated Student Government representatives, three aldermen and a handful of permanent Evanston residents, some of whom also work for the university.
All students who live off campus were invited to the meeting, but I was the only student in the room unaffiliated with ASG. Maybe students felt like they had better things to do on a Tuesday evening. Or maybe they didn’t see the importance of taking the opportunity to interact with some of their neighbors.
In any case, they missed an interesting dialogue about off-campus issues from student safety to petty vandalism to loud roaming bands of people coming home from bars between 2 and 3 a.m. Without many students at the table, the police and permanent residents steered the discussion. ASG “leaders” sat back and listened.
Forums like that provide a valuable opportunity for parties involved to better understand one another and to reach agreements about their concerns. Students should take the chance to become more involved and express their own concerns to their neighbors.
Interaction between off-campus neighbors doesn’t always have to be about keeping down the noise and making parties less rowdy. Students stand to benefit, too.
A rash of burglaries targeting student apartments last Thanksgiving Break highlighted one of the problems with which students could use neighbors help. Having a neighbor look in on an apartment while the occupants go home for school breaks could help reduce the likelihood of break-ins or at least make sure they get reported sooner.
Students can return the favor by house-sitting, babysitting or doing yard work for their neighbors. Some students already do those things, but the possibilities are endless.
Official-level negotiations between administrators and aldermen only go so far to mend the town-gown rift between Evanston and Northwestern.
Simple interactions between neighbors — helping shovel a driveway or parking spot covered in snow, hosting a barbecue or block party, and even pitching in to clean up garbage from last weekend’s party — could make an immediate difference.
You don’t have to sing the song, but make the effort to get to know your neighbors better. It can’t hurt.
Elaine Helm is a Medill senior. She can be reached at [email protected].
