Exhibiting a newfound spirit of cooperation, the Mayor and City officials joined Northwestern University’s president, athletic director, and head football coach for a Press Event touting the upcoming Northwestern football season and the inaugural Evanston Day at Ryan Field on September 25. The press conference, held on Wednesday afternoon, August 25, brought nearly half the City Council and eight to ten city staffers to the Northwestern campus, highlighting a continuing thaw in once tense relations between City and University.
Calling each other “Liz” and “Morty,” Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and Northwestern University Morton Shapiro praised each other, the City, the University, and the Northwestern football team and its head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Northwestern Athletic Director Jim Phillips added his assessment that “the best days are yet to come.” Coach Fitzpatrick said he was “honored to have our great team play in this great community,” and then presented Mayor Tisdahl with an autographed football.
The platform included state rep Robyn Gabel, Alderpersons Mark Tendam, Delores Holmes, Jane Grover and Coleen Burrus, and the speakers. Following the official speeches, the group gathered to film a public relations spot touting Evanston businesses as places to go after a Northwestern game.