Student leaders and administrators discussed the Great Room – and how to save it – on Monday.
“We outlined some next steps as to how to organize students and rally support in favor of saving the Great Room,” said Tommy Smithburg, a Weinberg senior and vice president for Associated Student Government.
First ward residents who live close to the Great Room, 610 Haven St., have filed a petition with the Evanston Zoning Board of Appeals, saying the building’s use has changed since it was owned by Seabury-Western Theological Seminary last year. The change in use would be a violation of Evanston zoning law.
Smithburg, as well as several representatives from various campus organizations, met with Eugene Sunshine, vice president for business and finance, and William Banis, vice president for student affairs. The students at the meeting said they did not represent any organization.
“(This) definitely has nothing to do with my direct responsibilities with ASG,” said Weinberg senior Samir Pendse, who is the speaker of the senate. “I wanted to connect with the administration as a concerned student who was just at the Great Room last night. I really don’t want it to close. I want to see it continue.”
Pendse said one of the most important results of the meeting was a goal of fostering better communication with Evanston.
“We want students as a whole to engage with Evanston residents,” Pendse said. “This will be a great way to get students involved in engaging Evanston in general.”
The dining locations late hours have become a disturbance, city officials said.Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl said the conflict between the University and nearby residents mimics the “friction” that arises among all neighbors.
“At some point, neighbors just have to make compromises to get along with one another,” she said. “And two in the morning is just not a time when you want to hear dumpsters clanking as garbage is being thrown in and people chatting in the alley while they wait for rides.”
Tisdahl said one of the residents who lives near the Great Room told her he could see the reflection of the room’s televisions in his bedroom window at night and wanted to know who he could call to get the problem fixed.
At Monday’s city council meeting, Tisdahl suggested adding the responsibilities of University liaison to an existing city staff position. The suggestion came as part of a conversation, addressing one of the city’s long-term goals of improving relations with NU.
Currently, the hearing with the Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled for Dec. 15. Sunshine said he wrote City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz, asking if it could be postponed to a time when students were on campus.
City officials said NU is allowed to request one continuance, which will move the hearing to a later date.
Sunshine said this issue had attracted more attention than others in the past.
“They’re very interested in the matter and clearly have a number of ideas about how to make their voices heard,” he said.
Ald. Judy Fiske (1st) said student sentiment would have little to do with the board’s decision.
“It’s not going to be a popularity contest,” she said. “It’s going to be based on what’s allowed in the zoning ordinance.”
Thomas Gonzales, a McCormick senior, said he decided to take his concerns directly to the City Council. He spoke about the Great Room, as well as communication deficits, during the citizen comment portion of Monday’s city council meeting. He said city representatives should pay more attention to Evanston’s student residents.
“I’m thinking about trying to start some sort of student group that maybe addresses advocating for students’ interests in Evanston,” Gonzales said after the meeting. “I think most students on campus know exactly what’s going on on campus, but only know what things that are going on in town that directly affect them.”[email protected]
