When dealing with a university, there is more to be thought about than just what goes on inside university walls.

The community in which the university is set in and around is important because of the relationship that exists between the two.

Not all community-university relationships are the same, with some being better than others. In the eyes of some, however, the DeKalb-NIU relationship is an overall positive one.

“The university and town in the past 100 years have grown together and have an overall positive interaction,” NIU President John Peters said.

There are various levels of interaction and integration between the community and university that
there are no clear-cut dividing lines to some.

“It’s hard to determine where NIU ends and the community begins,” Peters said. “Football and the Convocation Center are community assets.”

Economically, NIU and DeKalb benefit each other.

“The business community loves the university and hopefully the students appreciate the opportunities we have here in terms of dinning, shopping and entertainment,” DeKalb Mayor Kris Povlsen said.

Some businesses in the downtown area make attempts to get involved with university and community events.

“As far as community events, we try to hold skateboard competitions, we hold an art show every February, we collaborate with the NIU art club, and we also do events like a break-dancing workshop,” said Ariel Ries, owner of Small Town Skate Shop, 229 E. Lincoln Highway.

“We haven’t worked with Hip-Hop Congress yet, but we have been invited to and attended a few of their events,” Ries said.

NIU has been known as a suitcase school, with many students traveling back home for the weekend. Some residents would like to see this changed.

“We have to make this more of a place where people want to stay and hang around once they get done with class or on the weekends,” Ries said. “Hopefully we can make this more of a positive place so that students can get to know more than just the campus.”

The attractiveness of the community is hopefully something that Povlsen hopes will continue to grow.

“I think that’s why we’re spending so much money on the downtown area. We want to show people who are employed at NIU as well as families and students that when they come to this community they say ‘wow,’” Povlsen said. “The more we can offer students in opportunities in employment, entertainment, places to shop and have recreation are why I’ve been such a big supporter of downtown construction.”

University-community relations are not always positive.

In the case of NIU, some believe it is just a matter of different lifestyles clashing and not a bigger, more serious problem.

“Every university-town has issues associated with young people,” Peters said.

Povlsen said in his 13 years in city representation that noise-levels and lifestyle difference are his only real complaints or conflicts he has had to deal with. Povlsen said everything else has been largely positive.

There are those though who welcome the commotion of students, especially once summer vacation has ended.

“I’m grateful for the young-ness; it brings new ideas to our town,” said Lauren Woods, owner of Cracker Jax, 118 N. Third St. “We appreciate them coming back; I think we all have a little party when everybody comes back.”

The community-university relationship may be closer now than in the past, due to the tragedy of the Feb. 14 shootings.

“I think [the shootings] brought the community and the university closer together. Unfortunately, tragedies in families or communities or nations bring people who may have different lifestyles or interests together when a tragedy strikes,” Povlsen said.

The reaction of the community following the tragedy showed the true feelings of the community toward NIU for some.

“I’m grateful that NIU resides in such a caring community,” Peters said. “I’ll never forget in my life the 50,000 cookies all the community members baked to welcome the students back.”

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