Gawker has been having a lot of fun with Northwestern’s recent history. If a prospective student stumbled upon the website, he or she would learn about our blackface, blow jobs and “celebrity spawn.” Their most recent headline adds to the list: Hard Partying Northwestern Students Thwarted By ‘Brothel Law.’
First, “party school”? Over the past four years, I never knew I attended a party school. My friends at University of Florida certainly do, but not I. There’s definitely a strong contingency here that regularly boards the “blackout express.” But that small percentage is vastly outnumbered by their milder colleagues.
As a senior, this “brothel law” won’t affect me. I’ll graduate, get the hell out of Evanston and remain unscathed. But a lot of my friends are freaking out because they’ve signed leases with more than three people. As of now they are completely screwed.
Enforcement of the “brothel law” will destroy the Northwestern I know and love — and will hurt Evanston’s economy. Well done, E-town. I live on a street where I know my neighbors, where there are at least eight houses full of friends who I can get to in less than a minute. That gives me a sense of community and makes me feel safe.
I live in a house with four other girls. I am related to none of them. If the law were in place now, I would not be able to share each day’s frustrations with all my friends over dinner every night, just a few blocks from campus.
Furthermore, living an El ride away from campus would be inconvenient for a lot of students. As it is, I barely have time to walk back and forth from my house. I rarely return home between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. during the week. Students here are so involved that we need proximity to get everything done. I don’t even want to think about what would happen during 2012’s winter quarter.
The worst part of this whole disaster is the administration’s response. Their lack of concern disappoints me far more than Evanston’s hostility. It seems hypocritical to stand aside as Evanston attacks our sense of community, when they’ve placed such an emphasis on it in the past. What happened to One Northwestern?
I have grown to love this school as a second home. If this had happened four years ago, I may not have chosen to come here. The below-freezing temperatures and all-nighters were worth it because I was close to the people I care about most. College is a time of emotional stress and self-discovery. I’m thankful that I’ve been able to rely on someone next door to hold my hand whenever I’ve needed it. It sucks to know that future generations’ experiences will be shaped by an outdated and backwards law.