The Daily Northwestern Friday, February 23, 2018
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City officials resist housing ordinance Students, aldermen attempt to revise ‘brothel law’ By RYAN WANGMAN
daily senior staffer @ryanwangman
Colin Boyle/Daily Senior Staffer
Mayor Steve Hagerty speaks at a meeting. Hagerty said he felt a “little hopeless” in the wake of recent acts of gun violence.
Mayor hosts gun violence talk
Following shootings, city leaders, residents discuss concrete action By KEERTI GOPAL
the daily northwestern @keerti_gopal
With the nation tuned in to conversations on gun violence and gun control, Mayor Steve Hagerty called a community meeting Thursday to inspire the people of Evanston to take action. “Like a lot of people, I feel a little hopeless,” he said during the meeting. “I feel sad that
our country can’t recognize that we need to step up and do something.” Hagerty organized Thursday’s meeting to brainstorm and discuss concrete actions Evanston residents can take to combat gun violence. The meeting featured several speakers who work against gun violence — including representatives from Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and People for a Safer Society — and comments from Evanston residents.
The meeting follows a high school shooting Feb. 14 in Parkland, Florida, Evanston Township High School graduate Yakez Semark’s murder on Feb. 13 and the death of a Chicago police officer who was killed while off-duty. Rev. David Jones, one of the speakers at the meeting, urged citizens to follow the lead of activists in Florida and take this opportunity for action. “I’m a priest, and I’ve heard a lot about thoughts and prayers
every time something like this happens, and I’m a little bit tired of thoughts and prayers,” he said. “Let us follow the example of our current national leaders, who are mostly in high school, and figure out together what to do.” Denyse Stoneback — who founded People for a Safer Society, a Skokie-based gun violence prevention organization, the day after the Sandy Hook mass shooting — spoke about two » See GUNS, page 6
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. The age-old platitude will rear its ugly head as city officials will once again consider steps to revise or replace an ordinance mandating the maximum number of unrelated people who can live together in Evanston. The ordinance, which is often referred to as the city’s “brothel law,” requires that no more than three unrelated individuals reside in any living unit, apartment, or house that is being rented — unless the landlord has takes the step of obtaining a valid lodging license. If the law is broken, the city’s zoning board may notify landlords that they must choose to pay a fine or terminate the lease and evict the tenants. A significant number of Northwestern undergraduate students live off campus, many in houses and apartments with more than three unrelated people. Associated Student Government’s vice president for community relations Michael Deneroff said the ordinance creates a
population of vulnerable students and tenants around Evanston who are afraid to report landlord abuse. He said ASG’s committee for community relations has been working throughout the quarter to put pressure on city officials to revert from the ordinance to property maintenance standards that are already in place in Evanston. Deneroff said ASG sent three students to the Jan. 29 City Council meeting, where they spoke about affordability for students and shared stories of those who have experienced landlord abuse or neglect and called on city officials to enact change. “The problem with the threeunrelated ordinance is that there’s many ordinances already in Evanston and regulations that prevent and (deal) with students who potentially are creating disturbances in the neighborhood,” Deneroff said. “This ordinance is not solving any problem in Evanston right now.” Ald. Judy Fiske (1st) and Ald. Robin Rue Simmons (5th), who govern/preside over the wards most students live in, will host a joint ward meeting 7 p.m. Friday to discuss community concerns relating to the ordinance. The meeting will also feature a presentation on off-campus housing and the impact of the two-year live-in » See HOUSING, page 6
NU students react Scholars discuss Muslim spirituality to recent shooting Zaid Shakir, Omar Suleiman give Discover Islam Week keynote New group aims to highlight gun control discussion By ALAN PEREZ
daily senior staffer @_perezalan_
Farrah Sklar attended school a few miles from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where last week a gunman killed 14 students and three teachers, sparking yet another national debate on gun control. Sklar said being far from home, she has little agency to advocate on an issue that directly impacts her and her school-age siblings. “I want to be there doing something about it instead of here just being complicit,” she said. “It’s really scary having them go to school and me not knowing if I’m ever going to see them again. It’s terrifying.” So, Sklar decided to bring the issue to Northwestern, noting that gun control is a national debate and gun violence impacts many in the Chicago area. The Communication sophomore is among a group of students seeking to weigh in on the
issue with a March 14 walkout, along with other students across the nation. Sklar said the group was formed in response to a lack of conversation on campus and a belief that every student should be politically active. Valen-Marie Santos, another member of the group, said she hopes the demonstrations will raise awareness while giving concerned students a chance to participate in the discussion. “I know there are people on this campus who care about this issue and really haven’t found a way to talk about it and fight for what’s right,” the Communication freshman said. “I hope this will give all those students a chance to participate in the movement that’s going on in our nation right now.” Though they have yet to solidify logistics, Santos aid, the group hopes to partner with other student groups and plan a week of events. Other possible actions include painting the rock and writing letters to lawmakers, she added. Students across the nation, led by student activists from Stoneman Douglas, have embarked on an uphill battle toward gun » See SHOOTING, page 6
Serving the University and Evanston since 1881
By AMY LI
the daily northwestern
Northwestern Muslimcultural Students Association invited keynote speakers Imam Zaid Shakir and Imam Omar Suleiman for a conversation Thursday about reconstructing the perception of achievements by Muslim Americans. During the keynote presentation of Discover Islam Week, the two scholars advocated the use of faith as fuel for personal achievement and discussed fighting for greater social justice. The keynote, held in Lutkin Hall, was followed by a Q&A session with an audience of more than 200 and moderated by University associate chaplain Tahera Ahmed. Shakir, who is black, told the audience that if they are passionate about Islam, then racial discrimination or other adversities should never impede their pursuits of spirituality. Shakir said success is a “function of passion” and alluded to Malcolm X, a black Muslim activist during the civil rights movement. “He was passionate, and so he became great,” Shakir said during his keynote. “He became Malcolm X.” Shakir told the audience
Brian Meng/The Daily Northwestern
Muslim scholars Zaid Shakir and Omar Suleiman talk to audience during a Q&A session moderated by University associate chaplain Tahera Ahmed. The two speakers emphasized using faith as fuel for personal achievements.
they should celebrate the black Muslims who “contributed their blood, sweat and tears for free to build this country.” He added that it is important to acknowledge other Muslims as “brothers and sisters.” Shakir, who is recognized as one of the top 500 influential Muslims by The Muslim 500,
encouraged the Muslims in the room to use hardships from their past as motivation to achieve greatness, which he said will in turn reshape the collective narrative of Muslims today. Suleiman, who spoke after Shakir, said tragedies should not weaken one’s connection to God and faith in the world, but
instead that people should use Islam as a reservoir for activism. Suleiman, founder and president of the Yaqeen Institute of Islamic Research in Texas, directed the Islamic Circle of North America’s “Muslims for Humanity” relief effort following » See ISLAM, page 6
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