An ASG-sponsored administrator forum on Thursday night allowed the approximately 40 students in attendance a unique chance to speak candidly with President Harry Bienen, Vice President of Student Affairs William Banis and Vice President of Finance Eugene Sunshine on a variety of topics.
The forum began with a question from Katie Funkhouser, Weinberg senior, about the hearing and appeals process regarding sexual assault. Throughout the night, Funkhouser and Jenn Rugolo, Music senior, kept coming back to this topic.
While both felt the administrators did not completely answer their questions, Funkhouser was “very grateful for the opportunity to ask them.”
Other questions concerned minority enrollment and the environment of diversity on campus. Bienen replied: “Our commitment is good. Our results aren’t as solid.” He believes we’ll see the results of the recently implemented No-Loan Pledge with the incoming class.
Conversation also stirred around the topic of town-gown relations. Bienen argued that “Evanston wants unencumbered money” but that “it’s never going to happen.”
“The notion that we don’t pay enough is strange to me,” Bienen said.
Sunshine went on to explain how Northwestern was one of the few campuses to pay an athletic tax that yields close to $700,000 for the city of Evanston. Furthermore, the town makes anywhere from six to seven million dollars annually off of real estate taxes on land that Northwestern has sold to Evanston in years past.
Michael Lobel, Weinberg sophomore, asked the status of medical amnesty and the administrative focus on alcohol safety. Banis explained that the university is looking into medical amnesty but there are legal complications to consider.
Other topics discussed included Northwestern sports, connecting with other students in Chicagoland and the funding of the Qatar campus.
The forum ended on a nostalgic note, with each administrator choosing one word to describe Northwestern. Sunshine went with “challenging,” Banis argued for “excellence” and Bienen joked that he was going to say excellence, but that had been taken so he would say “great but complicated.”
Maggie Jim, SESP junior, organized the event for ASG and considered the forum a success.
“I thought it was really good the way students were a lot more active and passionate about the issues they wanted to address,” Jim said.
Funkhouser agreed: “I think ASG did a fantastic job and I respect them and grateful for the opportunity.”