About Town

'Lincoln'... and the United Students of Evanston

Patch columnist Christine Wolf ponders the gravity of the moment as a diverse group of 7th graders from Nichols Middle School attend a screening of the movie 'Lincoln.'

A belated Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. At this time of year, many of us stop to ask what we cherish most. It's not uncommon to hear the following top the list: family, friends and neighbors, good health, a paying job, or a roof over our heads. In addition to the abovementioned, this year I'm especially thankful for having seen Nichols Middle School 7th graders attending a special screening of the movie Lincoln on Friday, November 16th. As I peeked in the theater before the house lights went down, I stood in awe, looking at the multitude of faces, races and cultures represented in those seats, reminding myself how fortunate we are to live in such a diverse community. The kids may have thought they'd earned a fun, Friday field trip to …

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About Town

Dig Deep

Deep down, what's truly at the heart of our community?

Evanston's got it all, right? Well... After a full year writing for Patch, I think I've heard just about every angle. People say we're... "...diverse." "...leafy." "...vibrant." "...overpriced." "...cultured." "...educated." "...dangerous." "...eclectic." "...active." "...hip." "...hypocritical." "...walkable." "...historic." "...over-developed." "...down-to-earth." "...artsy." "...small-town." "...arrogant." "...controversial." "...urban." "...thriving." "...bankrupt." "...suburban." "...socially aware." "...unique." "...open-minded." How do you feel about all of these terms as they apply to our community? Which ones do you believe describe us best? What can we do better?

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Christine Wolf

3:08 pm on Thursday, October 6, 2011

What a testament to the lure of Evanston. Did the ex-girlfriend stay?   more ›

About Town

Yale Or Jail?

What's that phrase all about...and more importantly, where's the middle ground?

I recently heard this phrase:  You know, in Evanston, it's either Yale or jail. I'd never heard this phrase before. Is it common everywhere? Particular to Evanston? Why did I just notice the phrase now? While I don't agree with the sentiment, I understand what it's suggesting -- that if you're from Evanston, you're either on the right side of the tracks or you're not. Evanston's not unique.  Ask anyone from practically any town across America, and you'll find an "us vs. them" mentality. Whether it's social, racial, religious, economic, sexual...you name it, everyone's perspective is unique.  We're all different.  But since when did different become "bad" or "wrong"? A group of students at The University of Oregon in 1999 defined diversity …

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Tough Questions, No Simple Answers at MLK Day Events

Evanston’s MLK Community Peace Pledge Day featured a nondenominational prayer service, a discussion on diversity and a candlelight vigil.

Difficult questions and pointed discussions marked the second half of Evanston’s MLK Community Peace Pledge Day. Evanston residents showed up in numbers, as near 150 people congregated at Evanston’s Second Baptist Church, at 1717 Benson Avenue, for Monday afternoon’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Day events. At noon began the “MLK Interfaith Convocation,” a nondenominational service held in the main sanctuary, complete with an invocation, prayers, hymns and spirituals. In attendance were several prominent community representatives, including Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin (13th District), Illinois Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (9th District) and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (9th District). All three spoke during a portion of the service titled “…

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Beyond The Bickering: A Deeper Look At ETHS’ Curriculum Proposal

On Monday the District 202 school board votes on the proposal to equalize next year’s Freshman Humanities curriculum. Will public comments sway the board to hold off?

"Apartheid." "Eugenics." "Bright flight." Conversation at Evanston Township High School has been heated these past few weeks. It's not the students – 1,245 of whom are white, 916 black, 479 Hispanic, and 248 Asian, American Indian, Hawaiian or multiracial – who have been using impassioned language to describe the education they're receiving, but their parents. ETHS's proposal to eliminate the honors track in freshman Humanities next year (and in biology in 2012) and to expose the majority of freshmen to the same instruction and opportunity to earn honors credit has proponents comparing this school to South Africa. Opponents have expressed worry that filling a classroom of students who score from the 40th to the 99th percentiles on the …

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