Despite extensive efforts to publicize this quarter’s Community Conversations event, only two Northwestern students joined one Associated Student Government representative and about 12 Evanston residents at Seabury Hall on Wednesday night.
Dean of Students Burgwell Howard cited the inclement weather and a concurrent ASG Senate meeting as explanations for the low attendance rate, adding the event was previously planned for a Tuesday but had to be rescheduled.
“We lost a bunch of students who normally would’ve been here,” Howard said. “We’ll have to keep trying.”
Community Conversations is designed to foster interaction between student and non-student neighbors to discuss community issues, Howard said. The event takes place two to three times a year and was last held in the spring.
The sparsely attended meeting is reminiscent of the Oct. 17 town hall at Norris University Center, which attracted 13 students.
To raise awareness of Community Conversations, Howard said NU officials and students distributed press releases to campus publications, communicated with off-campus groups and posted flyers at off-campus locations.
Betsi Burns, assistant dean of students, also created Facebook and Twitter accounts to “push the word out,” Howard said.
“We did everything except get an elephant and drive people here,” Howard said.
The meeting served as an “additional forum” for attendees to learn information about community initiatives and participate in valuable dialogue, he said.
Communication senior Scott Ritter, an off-campus advisory board member, said the event allowed for “deeper conversation” between students and residents.
One discussion that was “difficult” centered on the over-occupancy law, Ritter said.
“There are two very different sides of it, two different motives,” he said.
The law is of critical concern to students, ASG Community Relations Vice President and former Daily columnist Steven Monacelli said at the meeting. Monacelli added the issue is “tricky,” as students generally support safety regulations but have a hard time understanding why more than three students cannot reside in apartments with sufficient space.
“They do want to be able to live in a place with adequate safety,” the Communication junior said. “The way the law is structured now is just inconsistent in terms of that three people can live in a two-bedroom but four people can’t live in a four-bedroom.”
Responding to one resident’s concern that properties are being randomly inspected, Monacelli said landlords should inform tenants when inspections are slated to occur. If students are unaware of the inspections, it is because of “neglect or a conscious choice of the landlord,” he added.
Ald. Delores Holmes (5th) voiced a similar opinion and addressed reports of inspectors peering in students’ windows.
“If you see someone doing that, please call the police,” Holmes said.
Although conflicting opinions surround the over-occupancy law, Howard said all parties are trying to “bring the temperature” down to produce substantive results.
“People understand that to landlords, students, neighbors and the city, safety is our concern,” Howard said. “We differ on some things on how we get there and how occupancy and safety can be interrelated or conflated. We’re working through those issues.”
The conversation at the meeting marked another step in the process, Howard added.
“It’s not like we’re going to solve it winter 2012 and be done,” he said.
At the event, attendees also discussed a future project that will boost lighting conditions in Evanston’s Third Ward. Holmes said the lighting wattage in certain areas – such as Hamlin Street and Gaffield Street – will be improved.
“Better lighting does have an effect on crime,” Holmes said.
Monacelli also said a light walk that would have surveyed lighting in the First Ward has been postponed but did not mention its new date. He encouraged Evanston residents to accompany students on the walk.
The off-campus senator also invited residents to sit on a panel at an inaugural student off-campus housing fair scheduled for Jan. 11. The housing fair will provide information to students on off-campus housing and inform them of city ordinances currently in place.
“We hope to bridge the gap between student understanding of off-campus living and non-student understanding of Evanston living,” Monacelli said.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated to state Steven Moncacelli’s ASG position as Community Relations Vice President and his position as a former Daily columnist. The Daily regrets the error.
