Thumbs up
Evanston Township High School rescheduled homecoming events due to “recent community incidents in the Church Street area.” The school’s homecoming game was played Saturday afternoon, instead of Friday night, and the homecoming dance was held an hour earlier, according to a statement on the ETHS website.
The school said the decision to change the football game’s kickoff time would ensure a safer commuting experience for Wildkit supporters. Without mentioning the shooting death of freshman Dajae Coleman directly in the statement, school administrators ensured concerned parents of the 2,900-student campus that ETHS did not want teens walking around the area at night.
Whether or not these changes should be permanent remains to be seen, but we think the ETHS administration’s decision made at least some parents sleep better last weekend.
Thumbs down
Neighboring Evanston businesses Revolution Spin and Moser Sewing Studio are in a disagreement over allegations that the noise from Revolution Spin is disturbing the neighborhood. Landlord Kass Management has said he will not renew the sewing shop’s lease because the spin studio wants to expand into its space.
City officials should acknowledge both sides of the debate and launch a transparent investigation because the issue has been brought up to them at city committee meetings. Kass Management, which owns the building in which the businesses are located, should act as mediator for its tenants. If Revolution Spin is determined to be in the wrong, future oversight for small business rights may be in order. If it turns out Moser Sewing Studio made unfounded accusations, the city must decide what reparations Revolution Spin is owed for the harm done to its reputation.
—
When students found out J.A. Adande (BSJ ’92) was coming to NU to be the Homecoming grand marshal, most stared blankly into space. ESPN? Sports? What’s that? While the sports-fan half of the community was offended by the questioning, the rest were left wondering why Homecoming couldn’t have picked another Seth Meyers. It’s true, Adande may not have as wide an acclaim as the SNL comedian, but that doesn’t mean he won’t bring exciting commentary. His resume is a Medill student’s dream: The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, ESPN, SportsCenter. And he maintains that it was NU that offered him the opportunities he needed to make it to this point in his career. Everyone can take a hint or ten from Adande and his pep rally speech. For those who still show up on Oct. 26 with remaining questions, it will be just another Friday night.
